Sunday, January 21, 2018

Why Pawan Hans, India’s national carrier, has a disastrous safety record

There are only two reasons, reckons a former captain who flew choppers of the Indian Air Force, that any investigation into a helicopter crash in the country can come up with: pilot error or bad weather.

"90% of the time, the hapless pilot is crucified," says Sharma (name changed on request). "It's amusing to know that this time a 'sabotage' balloon is being floated," he fumes, alluding to the crash involving an ill-fated chopper of Pawan Hans off the coast of Mumbai on January 13, killing all seven on board.

Though preliminary investigation hint at sabotage — the possibility of flammable material in the cargo — nothing tangible is likely to come of it. Reason: 16 of the 21 crashes of the national carrier have been attributed to pilot error and the rest to bad weather.

"Blood is on their hands," alleges Sharma, who worked for 16 years in India's biggest helicopter company, Pawan Hans, in which the government owns 51% and the rest held by state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.
21/01/18 Rajiv Singh/Economic Times

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