Mesco never violated DGCA rules: CEO

• The helicopter VT-MAF that crashed on 11th August, 2003 has four servo units whose actual name is Hydraulic Actuators — Part No. KAY-115. It has life till first overhaul 1500 hours giving a time between overhaul of addition 1000 hours and total assigned life of 4000 hours.

There is no norm by DGCA requiring this unit to be overhauled every 500 flying hours. In fact, it is the manufacturer of these parts that lays down such norms for overhaul or extension. Our helicopter as on the date of crash had flown some 3900 hours plus and thus had adequate life remaining to reach 4000 hours which is the life of the servo units.

• There was no concession given to Mesco Airlines for the servo units. No rigging had been done to the tail rotor before Mesco Airlines was granted the Airworthiness Certificate on 31.03.2003 valid for one year uptil 30.03.2004.

• In fact after the grounding period of the helicopter, which has no bearing on its Airworthiness, a team of Russian specialist of the Design Bureau came to India and carried out the full inspection. Thereafter, the Director of Airworthiness Mumbai Region carried out final inspection and then only the Airworthiness Certificate was granted.

In fact after the grant of this certificate, the helicopter has flown above 200 hours in four months. We would specially like to mention here that even in the grounded stage, the Russian Specialists on airframe. Engine, Electrical, Radio and Instruments were employed by the company for its regular inspections.

• Neither of the two inflatable floats of the helicopter inflated at all as there was no time for activation of the same. To state that only one opened implies there is a failure of the inflatable floats which is an inaccurate statement to make.

Last inspection date on floatation was 28th May, 2003 and the next due date of inspection was 28th November, 2003.

• Your last paragraph on some pilot over-flying his FDTL limitations though basically pertains to BELL 407 crash. However, it comes under the sub heading of ONGC crash probe on page 2 it appears to be misleading as if our Commander B S Jaswal and Co-pilot D.K. Mittal had committed this error. Kindly clarify that this is not what you meant.

The fact that we have got an accident-free record for the past 13 years goes to show that our maintenance and safety standards are of the highest kind. Mesco Airlines Ltd. has been awarded the safety award for the best practices by Helicopter Association International three times in the past decade.
— Natasha Singh Sinha, Chief Executive Officer

Ritu Sarin replies: The report is based entirely on details emerging from DGCA’s ongoing crash inquiry and on the basis of what the accident inspectors have reported to the DGCA headquarters.

The Indian Express has since learnt that soon after the crash, two Mesco employees were suspended by the DGCA. One was a Russian national who worked with Mescos in maintenance and the other in quality control.

The fact that tail rotor failure was the likely cause of the crash has been widely reported in the media. The Indian Express obtained information made available to senior DGCA officials.

They maintain, as the story reports, that rigging work was done on the rotor after the plane was grounded and that early investigations have found that the ‘‘servo unit’’ had not been overhauled. The fact that the helicopter had a valid airworthiness certificate was never disputed in the report.

In fact, I called Singh and her view that ‘‘all the parts of the engine were in serviced condition,’’ was incorporated into the report. As for the sub headline, it’s amply clear from the report that violations by the pilot are related to the Jammu and Kashmir aircrash — and not the ONGC crash.

The report is part of our ongoing coverage of the aircrash and the aviation industry. In fact, on August 17, The Sunday Express carried a detailed report on how the DGCA’s regulation hasn’t kept pace with the rapid growth in the chopper industry. At no stage has The Indian Express ever cast aspersions on Mesco’s standing in the industry.

READ RITU SARIN’S REPORT
Choppers sent DGCA rules into tailspin