A helicopter that made an emergency landing at a marshy land in Kochi with industrialist M.A. Yusuffali, his wife and four others on board on April 11, 2021 will go under the hammer.
The insurance provider has decided to dispose of the four-year-old chopper and a global tender has been invited with a base price of ₹10 crore. The AgustaWestland AW109SP helicopter is being sold in the ‘as is where is’ condition with no warranties.
Lying in hangar
After the emergency landing, the chopper was grounded and has been lying in the Cochin International Airport Ltd. hangar. Though the chopper suffered some damage, no major external damage on blades or fuselage could be noticed.
Ajit Kumar Kokkeri, Senior Aviation Surveyor, McLarens Aviation, Bengaluru, who is handling the auction process, said: “operators have to fulfil many regulatory requirements to make the helicopter airworthy after an incident. But in this case, the relevant inspection and repair could not be accomplished to enable the chopper back to service.”
The helicopter could be used for passenger service after meeting regulatory norms fixed by the aviation regulator. Otherwise, the parts could be sold in the aviation market after dismantling it. The model is considered a preferred chopper of businessmen across the globe.
The original cost of the chopper is much higher than the base price. These helicopters are often customised as per the requirements of the buyers and so it is difficult to tell its actual price, said an expert.
2018-make
The 2018 manufactured aircraft is considered young as per industry terms and has clocked only few flying hours, according to experts.
Though the chopper made an emergency landing, no one onboard had sustained any major injury. The pilot and others had come out of the accident site wading through the water in the marshy land.
