BANGALORE: Hit by Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)’s findings into the 2010 August Chetak crash, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) launched a strong defence terming some of the comments as “incorrect”.
In an email response to Express’ queries, a senior HAL official on condition of anonymity, backed the pilot Air Cmde (Retd) ROJ Assey, Flying Instructor at the Rotary Wing Academy (RWA), who survived the crash with minor injuries.
He had over 4,200 hours of flying and his trainee pilot Capt Virendra Singh of the Indian Army, who too escaped, around 15 hours.
Taking on DGCA’s comment that RWA doesn’t have an approved training manual, the official said: “We sent the manual to DGCA but the approval is pending despite several reminders.”
HAL says a special audit of RWA was carried out in 2011 by a special team and no non-compliance was found.
“Every year, the audit is carried out by an inspector for renewal of RWA’s approval where the current medical and standardisation checks are put under the scanner. The crash investigation report has not been written by a pilot, who understands the mechanics of flying and flying training. One has to take into consideration the total accident-incident free record of the instructor and comment,” the official said.
On DGCA’s observation on the instructor’s hover height and “improper” handling, during the time of crash, the official said: “While teaching we always maintain a higher height so that the pupil gets more room to manoeuvre. This is a globally-accepted technique. If the instructor was on the controls, this accident would never have happened. But if the instructor is always at the controls, the pupil will become a pilot without learning. Emergency actions taken by the pilot were the most appropriate in the situation. Blaming the pilot for not using proper proforma is ridiculous, as it is the one issued by DGCA.”
DGCA FINDINGS
■ While the instructor started following the pupil on the cyclic, the helicopter pitched up. This hover was due to not improper handling of controls by the instructor.
■ The instructor followed his instincts instead of emergency procedures laid down in the manual, delaying the corrective action.
Helicopter, small plane operators violating safety norms: Director General of Civil Aviation
NEW DELHI: With poll campaign in five states picking up, aviation regulator DGCA has expressed concern over safety rules being violated by helicopter and small plane operators "time and again" and directed them to strictly adhere to laid down norms and procedures.
In a bid to ensure safety of VIP flying by helicopter and small aircraft charters, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has shot off letters to Chief Secretaries of Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, providing them with a detailed list of do's and don'ts.
Safety teams of DGCA would also soon be fanning out to these states for oversight inspections, officials said.
Analysis of earlier accidents and incidents associated with small aircraft or helicopter operations have shown that "laid down instructions were violated time and again and safety was jeopardised", the DGCA said in a latest circular on flying during election time.
The regulator has also asked the aircraft operators to submit election flying programmes to the regional DGCA offices, the officials said.
The operators and the pilots of helicopters and planes are also being held responsible for the safe upkeep of the equipment and ensure that these should not be released if any defects, even minor, is detected, they said.
The DGCA Air Safety circular, called "operation of small aircraft/helicopter - adherence to safety guidelines", outlines steps to be complied with by the district administration, the charter companies, the pilots and other stakeholders.
DGCA chief E K Bharat Bhushan recently met the chiefs of all non-scheduled operators, following which these steps were taken.
Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com
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Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com
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