An Indian Coast Guard Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv crashed on Sunday in Gujarat’s Porbandar during a routine training sortie, killing three crew members on board. The incident occurred at the Coast Guard Air Enclave in Porbandar.
The helicopter experienced technical difficulties, resulting in the crash, officials said. There were three people on board, including the two pilots. All three have been killed in the crash, reported news agency PTI.
“Three crew members were killed in the incident,” a police official was quoted as saying.
The Indian Coast Guard is investigating the incident, and further details are awaited.
The incident comes at a time when a critical safety upgrade on the military’s ALH fleet, initiated by HAL after a string of accidents last year, has been completed and the upgraded control system installed on the locally made choppers is expected to improve their airworthiness.
The Dhruv fleet, plagued by a nagging design issue, was grounded several times last year after the accidents called into question its flight safety record.
