Crew flying Khandu was highly trained: Pawan Hans

Under fire for the recent crashes involving its helicopters, Pawan Hans Helicopters on Wednesday said that the crew flying late Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu was one of the best the company had.
It also claimed that its crew members were highly experienced and mature and were drawn from the defence services.
Pawan Hans Deputy General Manager (Engg) Sanjeev Razdan said in a press release that Capt J.S. Babbar and Capt T.S. Mamik, who were flying the ill-fated chopper carrying Khandu, were ex-army pilots with flying experience of around 4,000 hours and 3,200 hours respectively.
Both of them held valid Commercial Helicopter Pilot Licence, he said.
"Both the pilots have been periodically subjected to proficiency test and found competent to operate flights in every respect," the press release said.
The death of Khandu and four others in the helicopter crash has put Pawan Hans under the scanner. The company has been under fire after a spate of crashes in recent months, including the one in Arunachal on April 19.
Soon after Khandu's Eurocopter went missing on April 30, the Arunachal government banned the services of Pawn Hans Helicopters. The Meghalaya government too followed suit.
04/05/11 PTI /Headlines Today/India Today

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General May 2011, Safety May 2011