Accident Eurocopter AS 365N3 Dauphin 2 VT-PWA,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 204272
 
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Date:Saturday 13 January 2018
Time:c. 10:30 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic AS65 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Eurocopter AS 365N3 Dauphin 2
Owner/operator:Pawan Hans Helicopters (PHHL)
Registration: VT-PWA
MSN: 6929
Fatalities:Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:c37 nm offshore Mumbai -   India
Phase: En route
Nature:Offshore
Departure airport:Mumbai-Juhu Airport (VAJJ)
Destination airport:offshore installation, Mumbai High North Field
Investigating agency: AAIB India
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The Dauphin helicopter was involved in an accident while operating a sortie for Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC). This was the first sortie of the day for the crew. The flight was from Juhu to NQO installation under the command of a CHPL holder with another CHPL holder as Co-Pilot. There were a total 7 persons on board including 2 flight crew members. As per the passenger manifest provided by ONGC, the total weight of 05 passengers was 357 kgs (actual) and Cargo + baggage weight of 93 kgs. All the 7 persons on board received fatal injuries and helicopter was destroyed during the accident.
A flight plan was filed with ATC Juhu indicating planned takeoff time of 0330 UTC. The helicopter was parked at ONGC dispersal and had requested for startup which was approved by ATC. Visibility of 3000 meters was passed on to the flight crew. The flight crew then requested for special VFR operation which was also approved. The flight crew was asked to revise expected time of departure.
Departure time was revised to 0445 UTC. Departure instructions were passed to helicopter clearing it for destination NQO on radial 289 via K017 and at an altitude of 3000 ft. The departure instructions were repeated by the helicopter. The helicopter took off at 0443 UTC. At around 0454 UTC, the helicopter changed over from Juhu frequency (124.35) to Mumbai off shore frequency (118.2). Later, near reporting point “P”, the contact with the helicopter was lost.

PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT:
The helicopter plunged into the sea at high velocity as the PF was induced into spatial disorientation while operating in poor visibility conditions as a result of malfunction (known and existing) of AFCS coupled with not handing over of controls to PM despite repeated caution of excessive bank by PM.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: AAIB India
Report number: 
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/chopper-with-7-on-board-goes-missing-coast-guard-alerted/articleshow/62484348.cms
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/juhu-airport-helicopter-with-ongc-employees-goes-missing-live-updates-5022755/
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/chopper-carrying-5-ongc-employees-crashes-miles-off-mumbai-coast-4-dead-1144543-2018-01-13
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/ongc-chopper-with-7-on-board-loses-contact-with-atc/articleshow/62485673.cms
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/mumbai-chopper-live-pawan-hans-helicopter-goes-missing-with-7-on-board-1799561
http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1516641#.WloiIV2Cq1M.twitter (details of search at 20:00LT on day of accident)
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/chopper-crash-search-operations-on-to-trace-missing-crew-members/articleshow/62494557.cms
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2018/jan/15/search-on-for-pawan-hans-chopper-pilot-1754005.html
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/day-after-ongc-chopper-crash-black-box-found-panel-to-study-evidence-5024890/
http://www.ongcindia.com/wps/wcm/connect/ongcindia/home/media/press_release/ongc-institute-high-level-investigation-chopper-crash
https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/ht-impact-pawan-hans-now-gets-a-dedicated-safety-head/story-sUTNw12CDOj2cgff2P3OPJ.html
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pawan-hans-chopper-crash-was-there-a-mid-air-explosion-1801043 (MGB/MRH image)
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/flammable-cargo-may-have-caused-pawan-hans-crash/articleshow/62563159.cms
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/pawan-hans-crash-preliminary-report-likely-in-a-fortnight/articleshow/62606904.cms
https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/pawan-hans-chopper-crash-flight-data-recorder-yet-to-be-decoded/story-BGcjeoRaJRUAZHZrfeh6oJ.html
http://www.wionews.com/india-news/body-of-another-crew-member-recovered-in-pawan-hans-helicopter-crash-29616?amp
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/after-chopper-crash-pawan-hans-to-conduct-organisational-audit/articleshow/63771067.cms
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/lapses-caused-pawan-hans-crash-report/story-Ri8pC584rkiWh975dxJFMI.html
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/2018-chopper-crash-pilots-disagreed-over-control-shows-probe-report/articleshow/72192531.cms
https://www.verticalmag.com/news/spatial-disorientation-probable-cause-of-fatal-phl-dauphin-crash/

Location

Images:


Media:

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
13-Jan-2018 08:05 gerard57 Added
13-Jan-2018 08:06 harro Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Narrative]
13-Jan-2018 08:21 gerard57 Updated [Location, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative]
13-Jan-2018 10:10 Iceman 29 Updated [Embed code, Narrative]
13-Jan-2018 10:41 Aerossurance Updated [Time, Location, Nature, Destination airport, Embed code, Narrative]
13-Jan-2018 10:43 Aerossurance Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Narrative]
13-Jan-2018 10:52 Aerossurance Updated [Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
13-Jan-2018 10:56 Aerossurance Updated [Source, Narrative]
13-Jan-2018 12:15 Iceman 29 Updated [Embed code]
13-Jan-2018 13:13 gerard57 Updated [Total fatalities, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
13-Jan-2018 13:24 Aerossurance Updated [Time, Location, Nature, Destination airport, Narrative]
13-Jan-2018 13:28 Aerossurance Updated [Narrative]
13-Jan-2018 13:43 Aerossurance Updated [Narrative]
13-Jan-2018 14:27 Aerossurance Updated [Total fatalities, Source, Narrative]
13-Jan-2018 14:30 Aerossurance Updated [Destination airport, Source, Embed code]
13-Jan-2018 14:32 Aerossurance Updated [Location, Departure airport, Embed code]
13-Jan-2018 15:33 Aerossurance Updated [Source]
13-Jan-2018 16:41 Aerossurance Updated [Narrative]
14-Jan-2018 10:04 Aerossurance Updated [Total fatalities, Source, Narrative]
14-Jan-2018 13:51 Aerossurance Updated [Embed code]
14-Jan-2018 16:37 Iceman 29 Updated [Embed code, Photo, ]
15-Jan-2018 08:18 Aerossurance Updated [Total fatalities, Narrative]
15-Jan-2018 08:24 Aerossurance Updated [Source, Narrative]
15-Jan-2018 08:27 Aerossurance Updated [Source, Narrative]
16-Jan-2018 08:23 Aerossurance Updated [Narrative]
18-Jan-2018 10:31 Aerossurance Updated [Source, Narrative]
19-Jan-2018 05:56 Iceman 29 Updated [Embed code]
19-Jan-2018 05:57 Iceman 29 Updated [Source, Embed code]
24-Jan-2018 22:13 Aerossurance Updated [Source, Narrative]
26-Feb-2018 13:30 Aerossurance Updated [Source, Narrative]
15-Apr-2018 14:45 Iceman 29 Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative]
15-Apr-2018 14:50 Iceman 29 Updated [Embed code]
05-Aug-2018 16:35 Aerossurance Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative]
03-Jan-2020 19:53 Aerossurance Updated [Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
03-Jan-2020 19:58 Aerossurance Updated [Narrative]
03-Jan-2020 20:22 Aerossurance Updated [Source]
24-Apr-2020 08:05 Aerossurance Updated [Source]
03-Sep-2020 20:09 harro Updated [Narrative, Accident report, ]
20-Jul-2022 19:48 Aerossurance Updated [Operator]

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