Chopper Pilot Dies While Saving Mumbai Couple That Was On A ¡®Joyride¡¯ To Celebrate Its Anniversary

A pilot was killed and three other occupants were seriously injured after a helicopter on a joyride to celebrate a couple's wedding anniversary developed a technical problem and crashed on a hillock in north Mumbai within five minutes of departure from Juhu airport on Sunday.

AP

The helicopter spiralled out of control and crashed at 11.57 am. Captain Praful Kumar Mishra, the deceased commander, was conscious and bleeding from a head injury when he was pulled out of the damaged cockpit by locals who rushed to the spot.

"Don't worry about me, get the passengers to safety first,'' pilot Praful Kumar Mishra reportedly told rescuers who rushed to assist him after his helicopter crashed. The injured passengers, Ritesh Modi (who has suffered multiple brain contusions) and his wife Brinda, were on board to celebrate their sixth wedding anniversary. They had left behind their two-year-old son with his grandparents.

Also on board was a technician, Sanjeev Shankar.

PTI

Minutes after takeoff, at 11.56am, the pilot had radioed the Juhu air traffic controller about his decision to do a forced landing.

"He said that the helicopter had developed a clutch assembly problem,'' said an airport source. A clutch failure cuts off power to the rotor blades and even though the engine would be functioning normally, the effect would be akin to that of an engine failure. The helicopter (registration number VT-PBH), which was gutted in the accident, was owned and operated by Aman Aviation and Aerospace Solutions Pvt Ltd, a private aircraft charter company. The company officials were not reachable for comment.

"They (Modis) had paid 9,000 for the joyride. This is the first crash involving joyride passengers in Mumbai,'' said a source.