A "Lucky Dip!!!" In The Antarctic Ocean
In 2016, as I worked on the second Chapter of part of my book project titled  “IAF Helicopters “Aapatsu Mitram” to “Tejas Shatruh Damanam” & Beyond”, I came across a mention of an accident on a Mi-8 helicopter in Antarctica. This accident occurred on Dec 29, 1983. At the same time, a lot of information and photographs of the accident were available online. However, I could not trace any of the crew involved to obtain primary source information.  It was not until a few days ago (June 2021) that during a webinar hosted by TBRInspire that I came across the actual Crew member aboard the ill-fated helicopter. I managed to trace him, and he consented to speak to me. This short version of events is reminisced by Wing Commander NM Rai Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry).
Wg Cdr NM Rai started his IAF journey as an AE(M) officer in 1973 and was posted to 105 Helicopter Unit operating the Mi-4s in 1974. The above photograph is clicked at the “Chakabama” helipad in Nagaland. He became a Flight Engineer and converted onto Mi-8s in 1978. Before being tasked for the Antarctica mission in 1983, he was a Flight Engineer Leader posted to Air HQ Communication Squadron operating the Mi-8s.Â
Two IAF Mi-8s were a part of the third Indian Mission to Antarctica with Two Chetak helicopters operated by IN. During earlier two missions, only the smaller Chetak helicopter had  accompanied the ship. However, this time the mission was to establish a permanent Indian presence in Antarctica. The load requirement dictated a scaled-up airlift capacity as 700 Tons of cargo had to be discharged off the FINNPOLARIS.
After leaving Goa on December 03, 1983, and after an eventful journey to the Icy continent, the stores aboard the  Finnpolaris were ready to be airlifted by late December. The first Mi-8 was also taken out of the hold and ready for its first flight on December 29, 1983. After a short test flight, it immediately started undertaking sorties. The Mi-8 had been modified with a weather Radar, and a perspex sheet was fitted in the place of the usual grill for undertaking the underslung operations. This avoided the cold air gusts which were expected during the extreme cold weather operations. Through this perspex/grill, the loadmaster directs the helicopter and enables the safe pick up of the load.
 Before the fateful sortie, Eight sorties had already been flown by 1300 hrs. The next sortie was planned for 1400 hours. Wg Cdr Rai was to be both the Flight Engineer and the loadmaster on the helicopter as the sortie was to be undertaken in an underslung mode. A total of five souls were on board the helicopter. Besides, the two pilots these included ground crew to help recover the underslung cables after the load had been delivered at the destination.
The aircraft was started up, and as there were tailwinds, the pilot took off and positioned the helicopter into the headwind. The Flight Engineer had to be in the cockpit during start-up. Thereafter, Wg Cdr Rai moved to the rear of the cargo compartment to undertake the loadmaster/Flight Gunner role for aiding in attaching the underslung load. He describes the subsequent chain of events as:
“I was lying on the clamshell door with the headset on and was guiding the captain for hooking up the load through the Perspex window provided for the job. The captain was finding it difficult to hover the load, and with great difficulty, the load was hooked. I requested the pilot to lift vertically, but suddenly I found there was no response from the pilot. The helicopter drifted, and I heard a thud noise of rotor sheering the crane cable and the helicopter crashed into the sea, turned upside down and started sinking”
As the helicopter crashed, the tail boom broke away along with the tail rotor and  in addition to damaging the crane on board the Ship, it had damaged the rescue boat launch mechanism also.Â
As the water (Water temperature Eight degrees below zero) Â gushed in, a physically fit Wg Cdr NM Rai broke open the perspex that was now above him and hauled himself out and thereafter helped all the rest come out of the helicopter. The water temperature was sub-zero (-8 Degrees), and the danger of Hypothermia was looming. He was also injured, with blood gushing out from cuts on his head and mouth.
As the crew aboard the tried to launch the rescue boat, the Chetak, which was airborne and was modified for an underslung role, quickly changed for a winching operation role and rushed to the rescue.Â
The first one to be winched up and brought to the Ship was Wg Cdr NM Rai owing to the visible injuries. Â As the second person (one of the pilots) was being winched up, a ground crew was probably holding on to his leg to ensure a faster recovery. However, the ground crew lost their grip due to the cold, and subsequently, the pilot also fell into the freezing water. At this time, the Mi-8 helicopter also sank, and all four of the survivors were in the water. Meanwhile, the crew aboard the ship had managed to launch the rescue boat, and the doctor rushed to pick up the survivors and administer first aid.
The four were recovered and administered first aid in the rescue boat and subsequently in the Ship’s hospital. All four were suffering from acute Hypothermia. One of the pilots remained unconscious for a period of 14 hours before recovering.
The good part was that the entire “Dip” had taken less than 10 minutes and was “Lucky” as any further delay could have resulted in a loss of life.Â
The second Mi-8 helicopter commenced flying from the third day of the accident and completed its task without further incident. This aided in the Indian Army completing the “Dakshin Gangotri” station in a record time of 26 days. Having completed their tasks, the ship left the Antarctica shelf on Feb 29, 1984, and set course back home, reaching Goa on March 29, 1984.Â
The return trip to Goa had the five survivors on board who had taken A “Lucky Dip!!!” in The Antarctic Ocean. Â Â
The Heroic Doctor Who Saved the Life of the Unconscious Pilot Who Had Fallen While being Winched Up By Hastening the Launch of the Rescue Boat & Reviving Him in the Boat by Giving Mouth to Mouth Resuscitation
Acknowledgement/Resource
