EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS Part 2: Dhruv FAE-604’s Dramatic Rescue Mission 25 Days Before It Crashed!

The ALH Dhruv (No. FAE-604) that conducted this dramatic rescue off the coast of Salinas on October 2, is the same one that crashed 25 days later, on October 27.

25 thoughts on “EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS Part 2: Dhruv FAE-604’s Dramatic Rescue Mission 25 Days Before It Crashed!”

  1. my god. these are great pix! great job bringing them out. keep up the fine job you are doing. your dhruv campaign is the talk of many circles.

  2. mighty dhruv siloutted against an azure ocean. picture perfect. wish the fleet all success under ecuedorian operators.

  3. I believe it is pilot error. However, my hope is that HAL replaces this heli at a very reduced price. So, everything could be smoothed-out with the Ecuadorians. I think they (and other South Americans nations)could be very profitable customer in future.

  4. shiv! why dont you be the CMC(Honourary) of HAL? Though AK is good with his MSM, the public should have a positive image of HAL!SARANGs have done lot of formation flyings,,,,,is this same cyclic theory applicable to the AI 09 crash?

  5. Indian VIP squadrons should start using the Dhruv for ferrying their precious cargo – that would send a clear message of confidence in the machine to the rest of the world.

  6. The Eucadorian authorities have now informed that the accident was because of human error. The survival of the pilots proves that Dhruv is one of the safest helicopter ever designed. This feature of the helicopter must be projected to prospective buyers.
    P.K.Chaudhuri.

  7. Shiv, stop writing PR pieces on HAL. I would appreciate if you will do a balanced reporting. Your website looks better than HAL website. The good news is that, MoD is gearing up take Nayak and his chamchas to task. The latest joke going around is Nayak was having 'fun' when the crash happend! God save HAL. God save Dhruv. (PS: Stop PR for HAL, Pleaseeee. They are selling the Company)

  8. Poor HAL Chairman doesn't have any clue about helicopters. Your blog will help a lot in educating him. HAL is planning to honour you with "Dhruv Bacaho Award" for your non-stop PR pieces. Sad Man!

  9. ^^^dash dash holes! when MI-17 crashed and killed no whining? what you and me general public couldnt see ,shiv aroor is posting and maintaining continuity! spend millions of dollars and get seduced by russians who are supplying virtual junk!

  10. Dear Mr Shiv Aroor, I liked your patriotism in making your blog look like an extension of HAL's Dhruv publicity mission. To a certain extend we need to support our products. But knowing the happenings in HAL, I am saddened that the Company is now being run by a bunch of jokers, who are just looting the Company. What's happening to LCA? IJT? LCH? With so many programmes coming to HAL and they happily accepting everything, do you thing they have the capacity to deliver quality products? Ask any youngster in HAL and they will tell you how disgusted they are (including my son who is now in Nasik.) The current Chairman is famous for using the FOUR-letter word even to his GMs and he is now busy pushing his men to various top posts. Also heard that one senior Director is quitting or has already quit after not being made the Chairman. I would appreciate if you maintain a balanced writing otherwise you will lose the credibility as a seasoned journalist. HAL is cheating the Nation and thanks to the concessions given by our Services, it's surviving by the day. I hope the government wakes and probes into the affairs of HAL, before it starts collapsing. The monopoly is going and HAL needs to be really professional, rather than boasting a great past. It's time the government got an IAF man to run the post. And, you please don't bore us by some stupid photos. Any copter, if flown over water low, will given great images. Let's stop getting carried away by photos and instead make the brasstacks right. Mr Shiv Arror, I have served the country for 38 years wearing the Army colours and I mean what I am writing. Jai Hind!

  11. Last anon: Thanks for your comments. Allow me to respond. My blog is not an extension of HAL's publicity structure, such as it is. I merely post and report on what I hear, and what is happening on the ground. this is a story where there is a great deal of tenuous negativity. my blog is not a platform to support one side or the other, but I do have sources who volunteer information based on the professional relationships we as journalists build over many years. if you think i am an unconditional supporter of HAL, i invite you to run a search for the HAL category on my blog and look through the numerous posts questioning HAL's practices. Both as a print and TV journalist, I have run series calling into question all aspects of HAL's structure and performance, including its flagship programmes. I have even run posts criticising the HAL Dhruv in the past (search the blog, you'll find them). If you think this blog is a platform for HAL's publicity, I'd have to disagree with you. It wouldn't take a moment for me to bash HAL for shoddy performance on this blog, as I've done in the past. And if you think my coverage of the Dhruv crash in some way erodes my objectivity, that's your call!

  12. Allow me to add, that I am putting together a series (which begins next week on LiveFist) on all that is wrong with HAL. Feel free to e-mail me if you have anything concrete to contribute.

  13. " Also heard that one senior Director is quitting or has already quit after not being made the Chairman." dear annon sir , i am addressing you as sir, as you are an ex servicemen! The senior director who is quitting or has quit is a personnel and admin guy who came from a coal burning org called NTPC and joined directly as top executive in an aviation company w/o any aviation industry background. HAL is a 1000% high tech company and a P&A guy simply can not function as a chairman with out a technical background. HAL is hindustan aeronautics ltd.you want it to be converted to
    Hindustan personnel & admin limted?
    The performance of the company will collapse with a single wrong decision,wrong collaboration. if you do not have the technical means you will be taken for a ride
    by your collaborators,your own subordinates ,your vendors on all technical issues. we have seen enough of the yougsters. most of them simply do not want to work . they keep day dreaming themselves as if they are in an IT company .The so called director whome you have mentioned is responsible for all this mess, pampering youngsters in the name of attracting talent. ask your son,how much justification he is doing to his job? May be being an exservicemen's son,he nay be different! every month scores and scores of ppl who have maintained vintage junk made in collaboration
    with our friends are retiring and no youngster is interested in learning and maintaining the so called vintage equipment. After the seventies , very few IIT guys have joined HAL. most of the remaining newcomers are from colleges paying hefty donations and also ppl with reservations. previouly the chairman of HAL used to become the chief of air staff and used to come from airforce. Late Mr. LM katre was HAL chairman before he became airchief. HAL had it vows with an airforce person as chief! Do you think , just because Present HAL chairman uses four letter words against his subordinaes ,could it be the cause for the crash?

  14. Good done Shiv. Thats awesome! You have done what is rite not a PR for HAL. ALH Drhuv is a very capable helicopter for its price. It deserve our support. ALH Dhruv was the best choice for Ecuador and they bought it.

    There were a lot talks about mismanagement in HAL and DRDO. There we need drastic changes. Waiting for your article.

  15. If same blog reports an accident or so they say ok. And when it reports good(for them spoiler) they say propegenda/ HAL-MAN etc…..These people likes criticism and when truth starts spoiling their joy they start crying this-that etc etc blah blah…..Idiots!

    Thousand thanks to you shiv for being comprehensive.

  16. It beats me as to how some people's frustrations with current HAL chief Nayak should be projected onto Dhruv !!! If you are unhappy with Nayak then you must bash Dhruv just like the competition's propaganda in Ecuador's media !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  17. shiv, beware…the anon @ 5:24pm is a known paklurker(do check his IP address !)…don't get carried away with the wet dreams of serial bed-wetter.
    ——
    also the anons @ 5:24pm & 7:39 pm are the one and the same guy ( again check their IPs).

    -RK

  18. I honestly do not understand how HAL chief's partying and the chopper crash are related.
    Is the anonymous poster trying to state that the HAL chief chose to party away whilst the all important initial crash report gathered dust on his table?
    It is tantamount to saying that Rahul Gandhi was responsible for 26/11 as he partied away whilst our forces battled Kasab's mates at Taj, Oberoi and Nariman House.
    Meanwhile, lets all wait for the report – "doodh ka doodh, paani ka paani ho jayega"

  19. If we care about the nation, we should ask not only about the equipment for defence but about the men behind it.
    If they are corrupt no equipment can save us.

    Why does the blog not involve how education should be changed to impart Indian Cultural values. Or will follow the sonia and rahul mafia into doom….

    Why is the blog so focused on hardware…

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