Leonardo AW119 Koala, AW119 Ke, and AW119 Kx

Neelam Mathews

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has launched an investigation into how a Leonardo AW119 helicopter came to be dropped while being carried beneath a larger Mi-17 military rotorcraft. Owned by charter operator Kestrel Aviation, the AW119 was being airlifted on Saturday from Kedarnath in the mountainous northern state of Uttarakhand after becoming unserviceable.
According to an IAF spokesperson, the AW119 started to oscillate in a hazardous way, forcing the military pilots to ditch the load into the Mandakini River in an unpopulated area. The aircraft had been stranded at Kedarnath—which is 11,755 feet msl—since May after a charter flight carrying pilgrims to religious shrines in the Himalayan mountains made an emergency landing.
The Mi-17 crew were attempting to transport the helicopter around 100 nm to the airport at Gauchar, which is used as a forward operating base for the Indian military for disaster management operations, such as floods and landslides. It also serves as a gateway for pilgrims visiting high-altitude shrines, with helicopter flights being an alternative to trekking on foot to locations that are cut off by snowfall for around six months of the year.
It is not unusual for private air charter companies to seek help from the IAF if all other means to rescue stranded aircraft fail. These missions have to be approved by India’s Ministry of Defence, with costs covered by the company needing assistance.
Mumbai-based Kestrel Aviation specializes in flights for pilgrims and has operated more than 60,000 trips since the company was formed in 2008. It holds Indian Part 145 approval for maintenance work.
In a separate incident, a HAL Advanced Light Helicopter operated by the Indian Coast Guard was forced to ditch into the Arabian Sea on Monday during a medical evacuation mission. The aircraft wreckage has been located, with one person recovered and three still missing. It was flying offshore from Porbandar in Gujarat state on India’s East Coast.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

Indian Air Force Ditches AW119 Helicopter in Mountain Rescue

Rotorcraft was stranded in mountains after carrying pilgrims to shrines

An AW119 operated by Indian charter company Kestrel Aviation had to be jettisoned from a military helicopter during an attempt to recover it from the Himalayas.

Indian Air Force Drops AW119 Helicopter in Rescue Flight

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Amy Wilder

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Altitude and course deviation, traffic proximity remain top categories

ACSF Data Shows Stable Bizav Risk Amid 2026 Pressures

Kerry Lynch

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

Aircraft remained within separation guidance but neared each other after the presidential helicopter was unable to alert ATC

Faulty Comms Preceded Marine One/Envoy Close Call

Graham leaving agency within months of confirmation to another term

NTSB Vice Chair Michael Graham To Retire October 2

Stuart “Kipp” Lau

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

UK CAA concerned over rise in unstable approaches continuing to land

AINsight: Go-arounds Are a Normal and Expected Outcome

News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports.

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Helicopters more than twice as vulnerable to loss of visual reference accidents than airplanes

TSB: Rotorcraft More Prone To Loss-of-visual-reference Accidents

Charlotte Bailey

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

In this article

Leonardo AW119 Series

Leonardo

More In Safety

ACSF Data Shows Stable Bizav Risk Amid 2026 Pressures

Altitude and course deviation, traffic proximity remain top categories

Faulty Comms Preceded Marine One/Envoy Close Call

Aircraft remained within separation guidance but neared each other after the presidential helicopter was unable to alert ATC

NTSB Vice Chair Michael Graham To Retire October 2

Graham leaving agency within months of confirmation to another term

AINsight: Go-arounds Are a Normal and Expected Outcome

UK CAA concerned over rise in unstable approaches continuing to land

TSB: Rotorcraft More Prone To Loss-of-visual-reference Accidents

Helicopters more than twice as vulnerable to loss of visual reference accidents than airplanes

EASA: Atmospheric Icing Insufficiently Understood

European air safety agency calls for more comprehensive studies into phenomenon

Embry-Riddle Introduces ‘Safer Skies’ Video Podcasts

First episode features three-time space shuttle veteranJanet Kavandi

Li-ion Thermal Runaways on the Rise in Aircraft Cabins

Numbers are rising and the risk of a serious incident is increasing

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN