An unmanned aerial vehicle of the Indian Navy, used for monitoring the sea off Ramanathapuram coast, crashed into a coconut grove near Ramanathapuram on Friday.

Naval Commander Abhijit Bhargattagi said the UAV, named Search 922, crashed while returning after several sorties due to some technical snag.

All parts of the UAV had been collected, he said, and described it as a big loss for the navy. It was used for monitoring the entire coast and for spying also, he said. An inquiry would be ordered into the crash, he added.

A woman residing in the grove, fainted after hearing the sound of the crash and she was treated as an out-patient. The woman said she heard a deafening noise and the UAV crashed in the grove, just 10 feet from her house.

Two helicopters of INS Parundu naval air station had crashed three months ago due to technical snag at Puduvalasai and Mukundharayar Chattiram near. A balloon of the navy examining weather conditions also crashed on Thursday.