Two Pilots, Crew Member Killed in Helicopter Crash at Porbandar Airport

A tragic incident occurred at Porbandar Airport in Gujarat on Sunday when an Indian Coast Guard (ICG) helicopter crashed during a routine training sortie. The crash resulted in the deaths of two pilots and a crew member after the helicopter caught fire. The helicopter, an ICG ALH MK-III, crashed on the runway at around 12:15 PM on January 5, 2025.

The ICG confirmed that the helicopter was carrying two pilots and one air crew diver at the time of the accident. The crew members were immediately rescued and rushed to a government hospital in Porbandar. Sadly, all three were declared dead upon arrival. The deceased were identified as Commandant (JG) Saurabh, Deputy Commandant SK Yadav, and Navik Manoj Pradhan. The Indian Coast Guard has announced that they will be cremated with full honors in accordance with service traditions.

Porbandar’s Superintendent of Police, Bhagirathsinh Jadeja, provided further details about the incident, stating that the helicopter was attempting to land when the crash occurred near the runway. Despite being rescued and rushed to the hospital with severe burn injuries, none of the crew members survived the ordeal. The fire following the crash was a significant factor in the fatalities.

The Porbandar airport houses separate facilities for both the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard, where this crash took place.

This incident comes just four months after another fatal crash involving an ICG ALH MK-III helicopter off the coast of Porbandar on September 2, 2024. That crash, which occurred in the Arabian Sea, resulted in the deaths of three crew members. The bodies of two of the crew members were recovered shortly after the crash, while the third crew member’s body was recovered a month later.

The Indian Coast Guard has initiated a Board of Inquiry to determine the cause of the crash and prevent such incidents in the future.