Daddy DGCA is the last one to know what happens at home

Mumbai: On January 29, 2008, Golden Glitter, a riding mare, panicked when a chopper belonging to Garware Aviation hovered above the riding school at Mahalaxmi Race Course which also has a helipad. It went berserk and crashed into a barrier, breaking a leg. It had to be put to sleep as the leg, broken in two, was beyond surgical help.The then director-general of civil aviation (DGCA) said Garware Aviation did not inform him about the incident and he got to know about it through the media.
In June 2008, an Air India flight IC 612 overshot Mumbai airport, as both the pilots were fatigued and allegedly dozed off. They were woken up by the air traffic controllers (ATC) at Mumbai. But AI maintained there was a communication failure and the pilots did not sleep. DGCA again got to know about the incident the next day after it was reported in the media.
In the Jet Airways incident of a mid-air proficiency test gone haywire on October 20, the DGCA was informed about it in November. As such the DGCA's action to de-roster pilots is based on the data provided by the airline. "During monitoring the data of the flight by the airline, an abnormal rate of descent was detected. Further probe revealed that the check pilot had resorted to prohibited practice of testing the skill of the pilot. Whenever any such incident happens it is mandatory for the airline to report the matter to the DGCA immediately...," says a senior commander from a private airline.
Nasim Zaidi, the director general of civil aviation, was unavailable for comment as usual.
03/12/09 Naveeta Singh/Daily News & Analysis

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