Coast Guard co-pilot dies 17 days after crash

MUMBAI/ROHTAK: Seventeen days after an Indian Coast Guard helicopter crashlanded 11km north of Murud near Alibaug after it developed a technical snag, assistant commandant Penny Chaudhary (26), succumbed to severe head injuries at the Colaba naval hospital on Tuesday.
“Penny, who was in coma, had been on life support following a brain surgery at INHS Asvini Hospital,” said Avinandan Mitra, deputy commandant, Coast Guard, PRO.


A board of inquiry by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has been initiated into the crashlanding. The report is awaited.

On March 10, ICG Chetak helicopter had taken off from Mumbai on a routine surveillance sortie with four crew members—deputy commandant and pilot Balwinder Singh, co-pilot Penny and sailors Sandeep and Baljeet-—when it developed a technical snag near Murud in Raigad. “Around 2.45pm, the helicopter engine shut midair. The pilots used the rotor’s movement to glide the helicopter towards the shore to prevent it from falling into the sea. They tried to land the chopper on the sandy part of the beach, but could not. The chopper landed on a rocky patch near Nandgaon beach,” said ICG officials.

During preliminary probe, ICG officials found that Penny, who was the first to disembark from the chopper, suffered severe head injuries despite wearing a helmet when the slowmoving rotor blades hit her. The four crew members were later airlifted to INHS Avini Hospital. “The crew was evacuated by the navy and air force. The co-pilot was unconscious and bleeding when the team reached the spot. Other crew members suffered minor bruises,” said a naval official.

“The officer, with her presence of mind and professional handling of the incident, manoeuvred the helicopter for safe landing and ensured the safety of the crew,” said Mitra.

Penny, a native of Karnal in Haryana, had joined the ICG in 2013. She was commissioned as an officer in 2016 and 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.

Roop Pratap Chaudhary, her cousin, said that he had a telephonic conversation with Penny a day before the helicopter accident. “Penny was excited and bubbling with energy and shared her plans to return home on March 27. Unfortunately, she is coming home, but wrapped in tricolour as a martyr,” he said with moist eyes.

Recalling Penny’s school days, he said that she studied at Nishan Public School in Karnal till class XII and was quite popular for her friendly nature and for being a meritorious student. On March 16, the school performed a havan for her. “But fate had something else in store for her,” principal P N Tiwari told TOI on the phone from Karnal.

She had her first posting in Goa and was transferred to Mumbai just three months ago. Her cousin said Penny was the youngest officer to be honoured with a Coast Guard award in August last year. On the Republic Day, she was also honoured with female empowerment award by Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

On Wednesday night, Penny’s parents and sister returned to Karnal with her body. Her uncle, Col. Manbeer Chaudhary, said the last rites will be held on Thursday at Model Town crematorium with full state honours.