HAL team to investigate Dhruv landing in Nepal

HAL director (design & development) A.K. Baweja told The Indian Express that the incident did not happen because of design flaws or a component failure. Sources, however, said the tail rotor pitch control system had failed, sending the craft into a spin before landing hard. ‘‘After taking off, the pilot, who was fairly new, lost control and made a hard landing from 20 feet. The Dhruv is built for such situations,’’ Baweja said.

The Nepal government is also interested in purchasing the attack version of the ALH Dhruv. The incident and possible future purchases are almost certain to come up when Nepal’s Army chief General Pyar Jung Thapa arrives for a two- day visit on November 28.

Sources said that one of the two ALH Dhruv helicopters, which India supplied to the Royal Nepal Army in 2003, had a hard landing after the pitch control system (comprising the ‘spider’ which controls the angle of the tail-rotor blades, acting against the torque of the main rotor) failed and damaged the tail rotor, sending the helicopter into a spin before hitting the ground. When the tail-rotor malfunctions, the helicopter goes down on an uncontrolled spin on its main rotor axis.

HAL has so far manufactured 31 ALH Dhruv helicopters, two of which were exported to Nepal last year. The first-ever ALH Dhruv manufactured was purchased by the Indian Coast Guard in March 2002, followed by pairs bought by each of the three armed forces shortly after. HAL chairman N.R. Mohanty, who retires this month, said earlier this year, HAL had envisaged the requirement of 120 units for the Army, 120 for the Navy and 60 for the IAF.