Naval plane crashes in sea near Goa; one rescued, two missing (Third Lead)

A Dornier surveillance aircraft of the Indian Navy with three personnel on board crashed into the Arabian Sea off the coast of Goa on Tuesday night. While one navy officer has been rescued, two - including a woman officer whose husband is also in the navy - are still missing, officials 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, after which the aircraft "ditched" in the sea, an officer said.

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

A board of inquiry has been ordered to probe the crash.

Navy chief Admiral Robin Dhowan rushed to Goa from New Delhi on Wednesday morning and met the families of the aircrew, officials 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 on a search and rescue operation along with a few naval aircraft, sources in Delhi said.

"The last known position was 25 nautical miles south-southwest off Goa," an official said.