Chopper Crash Course

In all, there are 120 registered helicopters today, there were 60 just 10 years ago. Together with an estimated 60 small-winged aircraft, they form the backbone of the 8216;8216;non-scheduled8217;8217; aviation sector meaning all the flying in the country besides regular passenger aircraft.

It8217;s this sector that accounts for most of the crashes, too: Since 1995, there have been 13 helicopter accidents compared to nine in small aircraft and two in the big carriers.

All this will change, claims DGCA chief General Satinder Singh. For, Mathur, as the new flight inspector, is expected to carry out regular inspections of choppers, conduct safety audits and suggest changes to improve safety. 8216;8216;The sector is well regulated, it8217;s only for better regulation that Mathur8217;s been appointed,8217;8217; says Singh. Mathur has a tough job. The key reasons:

8226; United States, with 11,000 choppers, is one of the world8217;s busiest hubs for helicopter operations. Because of the unique features of a chopper flight8212;reduced speed, short path and low altitude8212;the US Federal Aviation Administration has marked fixed 8216;8216;heli-routes8217;8217; over its entire airspace. In contrast, there is no such provision here: choppers follow routes designated for general aircraft.

This means that in off-course locations8212;the rule rather than the exception here8212;choppers have little or no knowledge of weather conditions due to lack of ATC support. The same applies to night flying.

8226; There8217;s not a single heliport in the country. The Greater Mumbai Master Plan8217;s proposal for a heliport in Cuffe Parade never took off. 8216;8216;We still operate on ill-equipped helipads that don8217;t have half the facilities like a dedicated fire service etc. At a time when the industry is set to take off, such disorganisation is a recipe for danger,8217;8217; says a representative of a global helicopter manufacturer in India.

8226; As per international standards, to qualify as a chopper crew member, you need to pass the 8216;8216;helicopter underwater escape training test8217;8217; Huet Test, very relevant in incidents like Monday8217;s ONGC crash. In this, a candidate is trapped inside a chopper under water and has to come out of it within a specified time frame. Let alone making it mandatory, in India there is no provision for such a test.

8226; In fact, except for a basic helicopter-training course for pilots and engineers in Bangalore, there8217;s no other specialised programme for those joining this sector.

8226; All pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers8212;irrespective of the kind of aircraft8212;have to be endorsed by the DGCA. However, big operators like Pawan Hans8212;it has a fleet of 308212;add another layer of screening by holding their own tests of candidates.

Smaller firms usually find this too cumbersome. 8216;8216;We go by the DGCA certificate, work experience and word of mouth which works in our industry,8217;8217; says Ravindar Singh, general manager north for Deccan Aviation, the largest private operator in the chopper business.

8226; This acquires added significance given the recent cloud over DGCA8217;s screening tests. On February 22, 2001, question papers of the qualifying examinations for aircraft maintenance engineers were leaked in New Delhi, one of the 14 centres nationwide. This prompted the DGCA to cancel the exam and hold a re-test. No responsibility has been fixed so far.

8226; After the death of Madhavrao Scindia in a crash involving a small-winged aircraft, a committee chaired by Captain D V Singh, Indian Airlines director for flight safety, recommended that for operators of choppers and small-winged aircraft should designate an 8216;8216;accountable manager8217;8217; whose brief would be to 8216;8216;make surveillance and safety audit checks more objective and meaningful.8217;8217; More than a year after this recommendation, this hasn8217;t been enforced.

Now the DGCA says that Mathur will take care of all this.