DGCA, state differ on 145;drunk146; pilots

While an official inquiry by Jharkhand into the September 30 crash-landing of a chopper, carrying presidential nominee A.P.J. Kalam, at Boka...

While an official inquiry by Jharkhand into the September 30 crash-landing of a chopper, carrying presidential nominee A.P.J. Kalam, at Bokaro air strip has reportedly blamed the 8216;8216;drunken8217;8217; crew, two other VIPs on board have rejected the finding.

State DGP R.R. Prasad and DIG Bokaro H.K. Mishra said the report by Bokaro Civil Surgeon Ramjanam Ram says clinical tests of blood and urine samples of the pilot and the co-pilot confirms traces of alcohol. IG Special Branch R.S. Rath said, 8216;8216;They are correct. The samples were collected within hours of the accident.8217;8217;

However, state Science and Technology Minister Samresh Singh and the state Secretary Science and Technology J.B. Tubid, who were on board the chopper, rejected the report saying the pilots weren8217;t drunk. 8216;8216;Seconds after the crash even Kalam saheb patted their back for saving our lives,8217;8217; Singh said.

Even Bokaro DSP D.K. Kujur, who lodged the case at the Bokaro police station minutes after the crash, said: 8216;8216;As far as I think, none of the pilots were drunk.8217;8217;

Kalam, Singh and Tubid had boarded the state government-hired chopper US-made BEL 407 from Pawan Hans, at Ranchi to fly to Dhanbad, piloted and co-piloted by Prem Prakash Sharma and Anuj Bhatia respectively. At 4.30 pm, the chopper fell from a height of 8216;8216;few metres8217;8217; at the Bokaro air strip, Kujur, noted in his dairy adding, 8216;8216;the seat of the co-pilot, stand and left portion of the chopper were damaged8217;8217;.

The state ordered an inquiry the next day, even as the Director General of Civil Aviation rushed a team of experts from New Delhi to Bokaro.

The experts interrogated Sharma and Bhatia who told them the crash had occurred due to a 8216;8216;technical snag in the engine8217;8217;. The DGCA is yet to confirm this. The state inquiry gathered steam after the then DGP T.P. Sinha directed Mishra to probe the case. The medical report submitted on October 2 to Mishra said 8216;8216;alcohol was detected8217;8217; in the blood and urine of both pilots.

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It was forwarded to the state government on October 15 but has been waiting for the DGCA8217;s report to make it public, sources said. After Kalam8217;s candidature for President was okayed, the reports were sent to the DGCA for 8216;8216;action8217;8217;.

DGCA officials in Delhi said the delay was because the engine had been sent abroad for inspection. The pilot and the co-pilot have been put under suspension pending inquiry. Action, if any, would be taken only after the final report. 8216;8216;It has not yet been established they were under influence of alcohol,8217;8217; he said.

Inputs by Bhavna Vij