Date:	04-NOV-2015
Time:	c. 19:20 LT
Type:	Eurocopter AS 365N3 Dauphin 2
Owner/operator:	Pawan Hans Helicopters (PHHL)
Registration:	VT-PWF
MSN:	6946
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Category:	Accident
Location:	near Ron Tappmeyer Offshore Installation, 82 nm W of Mumbai -   India
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Offshore
Departure airport:	WIS Offshore Installation, Bombay High Field
Destination airport:	Ron Tappmeyer Offshore Installation, Bombay High Field
Investigating agency:	AAIB India
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Crashed in Arabian Sea while carrying out night landing practice on the Ron Tappmeyer mobile drilling rig alongside the EE Platform run by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India (ONGC). The helicopter took off from the ONGC WIS installation at 19:12 and contact with it was lost eight minutes later. There were no passengers on board. The 2 pilots are missing.

Search & rescue operations were initiated in co-ordination with the Navy & Coast Guard. Debris has been found during search operation. A cowling was found around two nautical miles away from the SLQ oil rig. On Monday 9 November 2015 one body was retrieved from the sea. One occupants is confirmed to have died in the crash, the other person is presumed to have died.

The position of Ron Tappmeyer was to the south extremity of the South field with no other rigs nearby to provide ambient lighting. As per the AIS and FDR the tail wind approach was made with speed of approximately 79 kts. This high speed approach would have caused an abrupt loss of visual reference.

The pilot flying probably continued to fly visually instead of getting on to instruments. Therefore on initiating the go around after realizing that he was high he entered into spatial disorientation extremely quickly.

The instructor was not disoriented and was aware that the helicopter was low. He had cautioned, (though delayed), the pilot flying twice. He however did not realize that the pilot flying was in total state of spatial disorientation and was unable to react to his caution. Nor did he take over controls. The helicopter as a result crashed into the sea with a speed of approximately 116 kts. The high impact velocity caused substantial damage to the helicopter and fatal; injuries to the occupants.

The pilot on controls was flying during night after break of nearly a year. The fact that it was a dark phase of moon made this even more challenging.

The emergency flotation gear switch was not armed so did not inflated.

Probable Cause:
The helicopter impacted into the sea at high velocity, as
- The pilot on controls, who had a long break in night offshore flying, got into complete spatial disorientation, as a result of black hole phenomenon, while approaching a helideck at high speed in tail winds on a dark night, and
- The PIC did not take over controls when the helicopter descended below critical height.

http://dgca.nic.in/accident/reports/VT-PWF.pdf
http://aerossurance.com/helicopters/night-offshore-as365-accident/
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2015/nov/05/Pawan-Hans-Chopper-Crash-Door-Sighted-in-Sea-839158.html
https://www.ndtv.com/mumbai-news/debris-of-missing-pawan-hans-helicopter-found-2-pilots-still-missing-1240287
https://www.ndtv.com/mumbai-news/pawan-hans-helicopter-crashes-off-mumbai-coast-2-pilots-missing-reports-1240179?site=full
[LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.dgca.nic.in/caris/know_regn.asp?regn=PWF]
http://img1.jetphotos.net:8080/img/5/9/1/3/83626_1428066319.jpg

[LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.business-standard.com/article/government-press-release/search-and-rescue-operation-for-ditched-pawan-hans-ltd-helicopter-at-115110501128_1.htmlhttp://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/pawan-hans-crash-capt-samuel-was-to-retire-on-nov-30-it-was-his-last-flight/]
https://www.mid-day.com/articles/pawan-hans-chopper-crash-recovered-body-identified/16668179
https://www.mid-day.com/articles/flesh-found-in-wreckage-to-matched-against-dna-of-missing-pilots-daughter/16697179
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Crashed-Pawan-Hans-choppers-captain-was-among-most-experienced-in-world/articleshow/49679586.cms_



Safety recommendation VT-PWF (1) issued by AAIB India
Safety recommendation VT-PWF (10) issued by AAIB India to Pawan Hans Helicopters
Safety recommendation VT-PWF (2) issued by AAIB India
Safety recommendation VT-PWF (3) issued by AAIB India
Safety recommendation VT-PWF (4) issued by AAIB India
Safety recommendation VT-PWF (5) issued by AAIB India
Safety recommendation VT-PWF (6) issued by AAIB India
Safety recommendation VT-PWF (7) issued by AAIB India to Pawan Hans Helicopters
Safety recommendation VT-PWF (8) issued by AAIB India to Pawan Hans Helicopters
Safety recommendation VT-PWF (9) issued by AAIB India to Pawan Hans Helicopters

#OTD in 2015: 319 secs to disaster: high speed impact on approach to a drilling rig off Mumbai. Night offshore ops are 6 times higher risk than daytime ops. https://t.co/1gzS37VJNA #helicopter #accident #flightsafety #aviationsafety pic.twitter.com/q7DMo9XnOx

— Aerossurance (@Aerossurance) November 4, 2020

Taken at Juhu Aerodrome on 1st June 2015

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
05-Nov-2015 07:13	gerard57	Added
05-Nov-2015 07:46	Iceman 29	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
05-Nov-2015 07:48	harro	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Source]
05-Nov-2015 07:55	Iceman 29	Updated [Source]
05-Nov-2015 10:08	devendrakulkarni5	Updated [Destination airport]
05-Nov-2015 10:14	devendrakulkarni5	Updated [Narrative, Photo, ]
05-Nov-2015 10:22	devendrakulkarni5	Updated [Photo, ]
05-Nov-2015 10:23	devendrakulkarni5	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport]
05-Nov-2015 12:22	Aerossurance	Updated [Time, Nature, Departure airport, Narrative]
09-Nov-2015 08:07	Aerossurance	Updated [Source, Narrative]
10-Nov-2015 21:36	Anon.	Updated [Total fatalities, Source, Narrative]
20-Nov-2015 16:06	Aerossurance	Updated [Source]
25-Nov-2015 10:26	TB	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location]
22-Sep-2016 10:23	Aerossurance	Updated [Source]
02-Aug-2017 16:32	harro	Updated [Source, Narrative]
31-Aug-2017 21:54	Aerossurance	Updated [Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative]
03-Sep-2017 17:16	Aerossurance	Updated [Nature, Narrative]
03-Sep-2017 21:41	Aerossurance	Updated [Source]
08-Nov-2020 11:23	Aerossurance	Updated [Embed code]
21-May-2023 14:30	harro	Updated [Embed code, Accident report]