Coast Guard pilot dies 17 days after helicopter crash
The woman co-pilot of an Indian Coast Guard (ICG) helicopter that crashed in Maharashtra’s Raigad district earlier this month died on Tuesday night after battling for life for 17 days at the naval hospital in Colaba, Mumbai.
ICG spokesperson Avinandan Mitra confirmed that co-pilot Penny Chaudhary had died. “Chaudhary had suffered a head injury during the crash, and there was internal bleeding after the helicopter’s rotor struck her head. She had been on life support following a brain surgery at the naval hospital,” Mitra said.
Chaudhary, a native of Karnal, Haryana, joined the ICG in 2013. The 26-year-old officer had 555 flying hours to her credit. “She was a brilliant, soft-spoken officer and popular among her colleagues for her professionalism and social conduct,” a Coast Guard official said.
The helicopter crashed on March 10 near Nandgaon village in Murud during a routine sortie. It had four people on board when the crash took place, including deputy commandant and pilot Balwinder Singh, Chaudhary and two divers.
The chopper started descending suddenly after its engine stopped working in mid-air. Singh and Chaudhary used the rotor’s movement to glide the chopper towards the shore, and prevented it from crashing into the sea. They attempted to land it on a sandy section of the beach, but it landed on a rocky patch.
The Navy sent wo Chetak helicopters and a Sea King ‘C’ chopper on a search-and-rescue mis-
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sion and located the helicopter. All four crew members were rescued and taken to the naval hospital. The other three survived.
FAMILY BATTLES GRIEF
The family of Chaudhary was grief stricken when the news of her death reached Karnal. Her uncle Col Manbeer Chaudhary said that for the past 17 days, she was on life support following surgery for her injuries at naval hospital INHS Asvini in Mumbai’s Colaba.
He said the 26-year-old’s body would reach Karnal late on Wednesday and that cremation is expected to take place around 1pm on Thursday with a guard of honour. Chaudhary is survived by her father Gurmeet Singh, mother Manjeet and elder sister Rubal. Her father and mother, who are in Mumbai, are likely to reach Karnal Wednesday night. “Penny was a bright child — she achieved her dream of serving the nation as a pilot,” Col Manbeer said.
He said that helicopter was on a routine sortie and Chaudhary was accompanied by deputy commandant Balwinder Singh and two divers Sandeep and Baljeet when it crash-landed.