Chopper flight leads to horse's death

Mumbai: A horse died at the Mahalaxmi race course after a helicopter made an unscheduled and illegal landing on the field on Monday. Golden Glitter, a popular riding mare, got into such a panic when the chopper belonging to Garware Aviation hovered above the riding school that it went berserk and crashed into a barrier, breaking a leg. It had to be put to sleep by veterinarians as the leg, broken in two, was beyond surgical help.
Officials at the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) confirmed to TOI that no permission had been given to the helicopter to land, and that the direction from which the copter had flown in, was also wrong. "Helicopters fly in from the Mahalaxmi end of the race course, but this one came in from the Haji Ali side, over the riding school, and landed in the middle of the field (on the polo ground in the centre of the race course). It had not been given a specified spot to land," said a senior official.
The regular helipad, which has been functioning for over a decade, is situatedin the corner of the third enclosure near the Mahalaxmi bridge. More than 20 choppers land there every day.
30/01/08 Archana Sharma/Times of India

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Jan 2008, Safety Jan 2008