Navy surveillance aircraft crashes in Goa; two missing

Panaji: A Dornier surveillance aircraft of the Indian Navy with three personnel on board crashed into the Arabian Sea off the coast of Goa late on Tuesday, an officer said.

One of them was rescued and two others, including a woman officer whose husband is also in the navy, are missing, the officer said on Wednesday.

The aircraft was from the 301 Naval Air Squadron based at INS Hansa near Dabolim in Goa. It was on a training sortie and communication was lost at 10.02 p.m. on Tuesday, the officer added.

"Commander Nikhil Joshi has been rescued by fishermen in the area. The search is on for the pilot and observer. We have pressed six naval ships and four aircraft to rescue them," the officer said.

The Indian Navy chief, Admiral Robin Dhowan, has left for Goa, sources in New Delhi said. Nine ships including INS Satpura, INS Betwa, INS Subhadra, INS Koruva, INS Kondul, INS Makar, INS Matanga and ICGS Amal are in the area for search and rescue along with a few naval aircraft, the officer said.

"The last known position was 25 nautical miles south-south west off Goa," the officer said.