PANAJI:
An Indian Navy surveillance aircraft crashed south-west off Goa coast with two officers, including a woman, missing while one has been rescued.
The Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft, which was on a routine training sortie, lost contact with the Naval Air Station in Goa last night at 22:08 hours.
“The aircraft is feared to have ditched soon thereafter. The aircrew onboard the aircraft comprised three officers (two Pilots and one woman Observer),” the Navy said in a statement.
One survivor, Commander Nikhil Kuldip Joshi, who was flying the aircraft and had 4,000 flying hours to his credit, was rescued about an hour later by a fishing vessel.
The crew used a toll-free helpline to contact the Navy’s Maritime Operation Centre, which then sent an aircraft to collect the injured officer and move him to hospital Patanjali at Karwar.
He is reported to be stable though severely injured.
The Indian Navy operates about 36 Dornier aircraft for search and rescue, maritime surveillance and other duties.
This is the first loss of a Dornier since it was inducted in the Indian Navy in the early 90s.
Eight Naval ships and four aircraft were immediately deployed to search the area to locate the remaining two officers.
Presently, there are 12 ships (including two ships from Indian Coast Guard) and four aircraft involved in the search and rescue operations.
Sources said the two missing officers are of Lieutenant rank. (AGENCIES)
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