A tragic incident occurred in Kochi when a member of the Indian Navy’s ground staff lost his life in a helicopter accident. The unfortunate incident transpired on a Saturday as a Chetak helicopter, undergoing maintenance and being moved, had its rotor blade strike the ground staff member on the head.
This devastating event unfolded at around 2:20 pm when the Chetak helicopter experienced an engine issue while being taxied during maintenance procedures. As a result, the helicopter toppled on the runway of INS Garuda, which serves as the air base for the Southern Naval Command (SNC) on Willingdon Island.
The victim, identified as Yogendra Singh, aged 26, held the position of a leading air mechanic (LAM). Tragically, he succumbed to his injuries when the rotor blade struck him after the engine malfunctioned. Singh, originally from Bhind in Madhya Pradesh, had joined the Navy in 2015 as a sailor.
While the pilot, co-pilot, and another ground staff member sustained minor injuries in the accident, they were promptly transported to the INHS Sanjivani, the Naval hospital at Kochi Naval Base, and received immediate first aid treatment. The Indian Navy clarified that this incident was categorized as a ground accident, not a crash, and expressed deep condolences to the grieving family.
To thoroughly investigate the circumstances leading to the accident, the Navy initiated a Board of Inquiry, with Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar extending his condolences to the bereaved family.
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