Chopper with Khandu on board was not on usual flight path: Yechury

[caption id=“attachment_4332” align=“alignright” width=“380” caption=“Manan Vatsyayana/AFP Photo”]  [/caption] New Delhi: Was the ill-fated helicopter of Arunachal Pradesh CM Dorjee Khandu, who was killed in a crash, not on the flight path usually taken by an aircraft in those areas? Sitaram Yechury, who heads the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, which also covers Civil Aviation, said, quoting “initial reports” that the helicopter which crashed with the Arunachal Pradesh CM and four others on board was not on the flight route usually taken in those areas. “On what basis the path was cleared, who cleared it, the weather reports, all have to be taken into account during the investigations,” Yechury said while releasing the report by his Committee on helicopter operations in the country. In its report, the Committee said pilots flying VIPs are often “put under pressure” to take off with minor defects and adverse weather conditions in their helicopters and asked the government to penalise those asking them to do so. “Pilots are put under pressure not to oppose these deficiencies due to commercial or other reasons. It happens mainly in case of chartered helicopters and those flying VIPs. Such violation of rules have led to fatal accidents and loss of several precious lives,” Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture said in its report today. It also expressed concern over the instances of forceful landings, take offs of helicopters in low visibility, bad weather and even during nights, which are serious breaches of aviation security norms. The Committee recommended that, “pilots be provided adequate legal protection to decline to fly in absence of mandatory technical or weather clearances.. Some kind of penal provision may be considered against those putting such pressure on them without clearances.” The Committee also suggested action against pilots also saying, “strictest actions should be taken against pilots/ technicians violating these requirements even under some kind of duress. Their licenses may be cancelled immediately if prima facie they appear to have done so.” It also observed that after almost six decades after its inception, helicopter operations in India is still in rudimentary stage and was covered by the same rules and regulations for the fixed wing aircraft. “The Committee found that currently, helicopter operations are governed by the set of rules, regulations and mechanism under the DGCA, which are meant for fixed wing aircraft,” it said. The Committee recommended that the in view of the differences between the two types of aircraft, there was an “urgent need” to put rules, mechanism and regulations and required infrastructure specific for helicopter sector in place. The Committee observed that the sanctioned strength of air worthiness officers was 130, whereas there was only one officer posted. Similarly, while the sanctioned strength of air safety officers was 43, no vacancy has been filled up so far, it said. PTI