More than a year after a BSF chopper on anti-Naxal duty crashed near Khunti, Jharkhand, a probe by a panel of aviation experts has found that the pilots were not properly trained and their ‘knowledge of the helicopter systems was inadequate’.
The crash happened on October 19, 2011, and all the three persons on board, including the pilot, were killed.
The report is significant as the Dhruv fleet of the force was grounded by the then Home Minister P Chidambaram after two crashes in one year. The BSF had acquired seven ALH Dhruv helicopters, which play a crucial role in assisting the paramilitary and state police forces deployed in various anti-Naxal operations.
21/12/12 VijaitaSingh/Indian Express
