Pilots breach security at PM8217;s rally

NEW DELHI, March 31: The Special Protection Group SPG is said to have recommended action against the pilots of two Sahara India helicopter...

NEW DELHI, March 31: The Special Protection Group SPG is said to have recommended action against the pilots of two Sahara India helicopters for alleged breach of security during Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee8217;s visit to Lucknow on March 29. The pilots have been accused of 8220;irresponsible and adventure-flying endangering the life of the protectee the prime minister.8221;

The Director General of Civil Aviation DGCA and the Lucknow administration had permitted the two helicopters to fly over the Begum Hazrat Mahal ground 8211;where Vajpayee was addressing a public meeting 8211;and drop flower petals.SPG sources said the helicopters were cleared for just two fly-pasts over the ground and that, too, at a height of 1,000 feet above the highest obstruction in the area and within a radius of 2,000 feet 8212; the standard DGCA guidelines.

But what happened has provoked the SPG to demand action against the pilots, including possible revocation of their licenses. The pilots of the two helicopters 8212; Dauphin andEcureuil 8212; reportedly flew too low and flew over the ground more than two dozen times.

8220;They violated the DGCA standard guidelines and also kept flying over the ground again and again. They were so low that we could actually see the people opening plastic packets containing the petals and showering them on the ground. There were extremely nervous moments for all of us in charge of the PM8217;s security,8221; said one SPG official.

Director General Civil Aviation H S Khola said that if the pilots had violated the guidelines, action would definitely be taken against them. 8220;So far, I have not received any communication from the SPG. When I do, action will be initiated against the pilots,8221; he said.

Chief Manager of Sahara India Airlines Sanjay Bahadur said no complaints had been received against the crew of the two helicopters. 8220;I don8217;t think they could have indulged in adventure-flying,8221; he said. 8220;They are retiredofficers from the Indian Air Force and the Army and mature enough not to try anything likethis.8221;

The Dauphin was being flown by Air Commodore C M Singhla and Wing Commander V K Jaggi. The Ecureuil was flown by Wing Commander H P S Shergill and Colonel D Sehgal. Bahadur claimed that there was probably some 8220;communication gap8221; between the DGCA and the SPG or between the Lucknow administration and the SPG.

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The SPG was under the impression that only one helicopter had the clearance, he said. 8220;They must have got cheesed off seeing two helicopters. But we had the necessary clearance from all authorities,8221; Bahadur added. He denied that the helicopters had violated DGCA guidelines.

8220;From the ground, you cannot make out the height at which the aircraft is flying. They might just seem low,8221; Bahadur said.