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| Private helicopter operators in J&K take DGCA guidelines 'lightly' | | Crew never discusses or practices possible emergencies | | Syed JunaidHashmi
ET Report
JAMMU, Nov 23: Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) will be scratching his head over private helicopter service operators in Jammu and Kashmir taking its mandatory flying advice 'lightly', thus playing with the lives of the pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine.
Specifically in the case of Himalayan Heli Service Private Limited, DGCA had issued strict warning and specific instructions after its Lama Helicopter VT-WEX had met with an accident near Shri Amarnath Yatra helipad on July 9, 2009 in which 4 passengers and a crew member were injured while a pedestrian was killed. However, sources said that the private helicopter service provider did make some amends but largely allowed the fleet to operate 'loosely.'
Seven precious lives were lost including that of the pilot were lost after AS 350 B3 (H) Helicopter VT-JKB caught fire immediately after flying from Sanjhichat helipad in Trikuta Hills. The pilot of the helicopter had attempted to carry out a sortie despite knowing well that weather was too bad and wind velocity was too high, said an insider.
According to the initial reports, the helicopter crashed near the new bus stand area in Katra. None survived. The badly burnt dead bodies were retrieved by locals and the police from the site of the accident. Bodies had got badly burnt and it took police sometime to ascertain identity of the passengers and the pilot.
If those who have flown private helicopters are to be believed, these incidents could be avoided only if the private Heli service operators take instructions and advice of DGCA seriously. They maintain that usually, these helicopters are maintained as per the approved maintenance programme and it is ensured that the helicopter is in airworthy condition to undertake the flight. But the operators hardly take any interest in carrying out regular proficiency checks.
In the previous accent in July 2009, proficiency check had been carried out on January 30, 2008; then in August 2008, the next had become due on January 29, 2009. However it was carried out in 14th March 2009. Experts maintain that it would be a matter of great interest to see whether this was done in this case of the pilot who was flying this aircraft despite knowing well about bad weather conditions prevailing in the Trikuta bills.
Another major flaw which DGCA had pointed out then was delinquency of the operators to carry out routine route checks. It had pointed out that Heli service operators care little about carrying out routine route checks and intentionally delay the same for the reasons best known to them. DGCA had asked the Himalayan Heli services operator to regularly carry out human factor/CRM course. An indepth inquiry would unveil whether this was being obeyed or not.
DGCA had pointedly said that the Himalayan Helicopter service operator does not have robust system of monitoring the crew qualification vis-à-vis the regulatory requirements and company's own requirements. It had said that the pilots engaged by the company would often employ incorrect procedure of flying as well as incorrect technique for the steep approach
DGCA had further said that Standard operating procedure of the company and the operations manual Himalayan Heli Services among other things lacked organisational structure for the detachments with proper allocation of the duties, qualification and the experience requirements for the chief pilot both for the company and the detachment, altimeter setting for pressure altitude, and procedure for aborted landing.
DGCA had further said that the monitoring of the crew qualification was not strictly enforced and that the crew remains engaged in the routine flight activity and never discusses or practices the possible emergencies which can be encountered. It would be matter of great interest to see whether an inquiry is ordered or not and the Helicopter service providers are penalised for playing with the safety of the pilgrims. |
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