Government sets up panel to probe YSR chopper crash

New Delhi: The government on Thursday night constituted a four-member team to probe the chopper crash that killed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and four others. The committee will be headed by the chief of Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd RK Tyagi.
The committee will complete its probe within two months, a government statement said.
Meanwhile, India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on Thursday began a probe into the chopper crash.
"The DGCA has begun investigations to find out the cause that led to the crash of the chopper. Our preliminary reports say the helicopter may have run into bad weather," Minister for Civil Aviation Praful Patel told reporters in New Delhi earlier.
Patel said: "There was no indication of a snag or shortcoming throughout the flight." The chopper had a weather radar and was technically capable of flying even in "blind conditions".
"The chopper was operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) instead of being instrument-guided. It is a decision of the pilot. But the facts would be out only after the investigations."
03/09/09 Indo-Asian News Service/Hindustan Times

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Sep 2009, Safety Sep 2009