Mumbai chopper crash: Body of missing passenger recovered

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], Jan 18 (ANI): Body of a missing passenger was recovered on Thursday after Indian Coast Guard continued its search and rescue operation for the fifth consecutive day at the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) aircraft crash site off Mumbai.

With this, mortal remains of all passengers, including Pilots onboard the chopper, have been recovered.

Most of the aircraft debris, including critical components such as engines, landing gear, Cockpit and Flight Data Recorder, Main Gear Box and Tail Gear Box, have already been collected by Coast Guard, ONGC and Naval ships and handed over for investigation, read an official note.

The search for survivors and debris of the aircraft has been terminated by Commander Coast Guard Region (W). However, Coast Guard is maintaining a high level of coordination with ONGC and other agencies to ascertain the reason for the crash, which has lead to the unfortunate demise of all passengers onboard, it added.

On January 16, the ONGC announced to set up an institute a high-level independent investigation into the ill-fated Chopper crash on January 13, which led to the demise of seven on-board.

The helicopter, which took off from Juhu at 10.20 am on Saturday, was scheduled to land at ONGC's North Field oil rig at 10.58 am.

The last contact with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) was made at about 10.30 am, 30 nautical miles off Mumbai. (ANI)