Pawan Hans helicopter crashes in Andaman; Tejas Fleet grounded by IAF: India's largest aircraft manufacturer HAL faces fresh heat

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, India’s largest aircraft manufacturer, is facing fresh heat as two recent aviation events highlight challenges in the country’s defence and civil aviation space. Today, a helicopter operated by Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited — one of the country’s major rotary-wing service providers — crashed into the sea near Mayabunder in the Andaman Islands with seven people onboard. Fortunately, all passengers and crew were rescued safely, but the incident adds to a broader discussion about helicopter safety standards and the operational challenges faced by India’s aviation fleet.

Moreover, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has grounded its entire fleet of around 30 single-seat Tejas light combat aircraft for detailed technical checks after one of the jets sustained significant damage when it overshot a runway at a frontline airbase earlier this month, news agency PTI reported, citing authoritative sources. According to PTI, the incident occurred on February 7 and is suspected to have been triggered by a brake failure. The pilot ejected safely and did not suffer injuries, the sources said. The aircraft was returning to base after a training sortie when the incident took place, PTI reported.

Pawan Hans helicopter crash

A Pawan Hans helicopter carrying seven people, including two crew members, crashed into the sea after it took off from Rangat in the North and Middle Andaman district on Tuesday morning, and all of them were rescued, officials told PTI. The accident occurred around 9.30 am, before its scheduled landing at Mayabunder in the district, they said. Pawan Hans Ltd is a central public sector undertaking based in Noida.


All five passengers and the two crew members, rescued from mid-sea, have been admitted to a hospital, one of the officials said.

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“The helicopter crashed into the sea around 9.30 am. A preliminary inquiry revealed that there was some technical snag, and the pilot made a crash-landing on the sea,” a senior Civil Aviation official said. An inquiry has been initiated, he said.

"The helicopter took off from Port Blair at around 8.30 am for Rangat. At 9.10 am, it took off for Mayabunder and was to land at 9.30 am. It, however, ditched into the sea 300 m short of the runway. There were five passengers on board and two crew members. All have been rescued and are safe," a Pawan Hans spokesperson told PTI.

Tejas aircraft suffers damage

The HAL Tejas light combat aircraft programme has once again attracted attention after the IAF grounded its entire fleet of around 30 Tejas jets following a runway overshoot incident earlier this month. According to defence sources, a Tejas aircraft reportedly suffered significant damage when it overshot the runway during a routine sortie, prompting the IAF to call for thorough technical inspections across the fleet to ensure safety and rule out systemic faults. While HAL has officially described the episode as a “minor technical incident on the ground” and denied claims of a crash, the move has reignited debate over the platform’s reliability and ongoing delivery delays for the upgraded Mk-1A variant.

This development comes against a backdrop of previous Tejas incidents — including earlier crashes and extended delays in delivering new jets — which have already put the programme under pressure as India seeks to modernise its air force with indigenously built fighters.

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HAL responds

Meanwhile, HAL has denied reports that Tejas crashed earlier this month. In a statement, the Bengaluru-based plane-maker said it was "a minor technical incident on the ground".

"HAL acknowledges the recent media reports on the LCA Tejas incident and wishes to provide factual clarification. There has been no reported crash of the LCA Tejas. The event in question was a minor technical incident on ground," the state-run aerospace and defence firm said.

"LCA Tejas maintains one of the world's best safety records among contemporary fighter aircraft. As a standard operating procedure, the issue is being analysed in depth and HAL is working closely with the Indian Air Force (IAF) for a speedy resolution," the public sector company said.

(With agency inputs)