A tragic accident occurred in the residential suburb of Bavdhan, Pune district, Maharashtra, India, when an A-109S Grand helicopter (registration VT-EVV) of the local Heritage Aviation crashed, killing two pilots and an engineer. Police confirmed that the accident occurred this morning near the Oxford County Golf Course, from which heliport the aircraft took off at 7:30 am local time bound for Juhu, Mumbai.

A local police spokesperson said the aircraft crashed in a hilly area near Bavdhan at 7:40 am, catching fire immediately after impact (see attached videos below). Rescue teams and firefighting units responded quickly, but were unable to save the three occupants of the aircraft. The victims have been identified, all three members of the helicopter operator's crew. Fog in the area may have played a role, although official investigations have yet to confirm the exact cause of the crash.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an inquiry to look into the circumstances of the accident. Deputy Commissioner of Police Vishal Gaikwad and other officials have stressed the importance of fully understanding the circumstances that led to the tragedy to prevent future incidents of this kind.