Nod for aeronautical displays near residences to be reviewed

New Delhi: India’s aviation regulator has decided to review permissions for aeronautical displays near residential areas after a crash on Wednesday led to three deaths in Hyderabad.
“There are various views on this and one of them is that the display should not be held close to residential areas as the risk factor in such exercises is higher than normal,” said a senior official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on condition of anonymity. “We are going to look into it.”
Two navy pilots were killed when their Surya Kiran MkII aircraft, part of an aerobatics team, crashed into a building in the Bowenpally locality, close to the old Begumpet airport in Andhra Pradesh’s capital city, on the inaugural day of the India Aviation 2010 exhibition. A civilian also died.
DGCA has already withdrawn permission for a display meant to showcase India’s growing prowess as a civilian passenger market and an aerospace hub—scheduled for the last two days of the exhibition.
The official said DGCA would help the navy investigate the crash.
“You are not allowed this low-level aerobatics near built-up areas. The Begumpet airport is most unsuitable for this. It’s too crowded,” said Mohan Ranganathan, a Chennai-based air safety consultant with more than 20,000 hours of flying experience.
04/03/10 Tarun Shukla/Live Mint

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Categories: Safety Mar 2010