Groundwork helped locating wreckage early

This was the biggest ever co-ordinated search operation in the country, involving both aerial and ground elements, including the IAF airborne elements, ISRO, National Remote Sensing Agency, besides the US department of defence satellites, 5,000 para-military personnel, the AP police, Greyhound commandos and tribals. The wreckage was found almost 24 hours after the Bell-430 helicopter went missing around 9.35 am on Wednesday. The wreckage was located atop a hill in the Nallamala forests, 40 km from Kurnool.
IAF told Deccan Herald that the overall task-force commander for the operation was Air Commodore V S Bharti, the Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station, Yelahanka. The wreckage was spotted around 9 am after over two hours of search and the pilot instantly communicated the success to the air base.
The team of helicopter pilots actually located the wreckage in the Nallamala forests after hours of ground work since Wednesday evening. In order to home in on their target they evolved a search pattern based on the helicopter’s speed and the time it would take to traverse the pre-determined flight path, besides its last contact with the nearest Air Traffic Control.
To further narrow down their search the authorities also plotted on a Google Earth map and their initial assessment proved correct. Also, they obtained various inputs from the AP government’s disaster management committee which included wireless calls made by
the officials flying on the helicopter minutes before it crashed into a hill.
04/09/09 Bidanda M Chengappa/Deccan Herald

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