On October 18, 2022, a helicopter owned by Aryan Aviation flew with six passengers and a pilot from Kedarnath, crossing Garuda Chatti, and Crashed after effect with a ridgeNobody is leaving left. On Sunday, another helicopter, also crashed near a vine 407, near Garikund, in which seven people were killed.
Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, who investigated the 2022 accident, made recommendations in November 2023 to the Directorate General of Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) and Civil Aviation (DGCA) to prevent such incidents.
The accident was similar to Sunday’s accident. On October 18, 2022 at 11:38 am, Chopper flew from Kedarnath to Guptkashi with six passengers. According to another pilot’s statement, he did not hear the take-off calls from the helicopter as he crossed Garuda Chatti and attempted the crew to call Radiotelephney, but received no response.
“The worsening of the weather and the landing of the clouds were reported. As the clouds were cleaned after some time, the smoke was seen rising near Garuda Chatti by the Helipad witnesses. According to the witnesses, according to the witnesses, the helicopter affected the ridge near Garuda Chatti in less than a minute,” the report said.
In its report, AAIB stated that UCADA should establish an aviation meteorological station, which is operated by experts in Kedarnath, to provide more accurate weather updates to operators flying in the area. This was because the meteorological stations from which the weather information was collected was Dehradun Airport.
The debris of the helicopter which crashed near Gaurikund on Sunday morning. (Express photo)
UCADA was also asked to establish an air traffic control in Kedarnath for better monitoring of operation. It was also recommended that DGCA ensures adequate CCTV coverage in operating areas in Kedarnath Helipad and verify the availability of recording during all audit and monitoring. Aaib also noted that the helipad is equipped with CCTV cameras; However, on the day of the accident, the cameras were reportedly unnatural, and no footage in front of the helipad was made available to Aaib by UCADA.
Kedarnath Helipad still lacks navigation AIDS and an air traffic control (ATC) facility. VHF communication was used to communicate by operators and pilots. This is still there.
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UCADA CEO, Sonika, told the media on Monday that there are 14 cameras to monitor the weather and the pilot has an app for the weather update. He said, “We have a mini weather station in the area besides the real-time update system. The weather changes quickly, and so cloud formation,” he said, he has written to the central government to examine the viability of the establishment of ATC in the region.
Flight in the valley is dependent on the radiotlephney call made by operating pilots, including the call-out for the weather updates. There is no procedure for the readback or to ensure that all pilots working in the area have received RT calls.
“Therefore, this system is not foolish in itself, and there is always a chance to remember someone to remember the RT call made by any pilot. The subject can be the same in an accident in which the pilot had made a call out of the VT-R (crashed helicopter before the helicopter. If it is still decided to take off, it shows that the pilot works at its discretion and there is no control of traffic, ”the report states.
The report suggested that DGCA ensures that in temples such as Kedarnath, helipads, which experience a high number of trimming and passenger loads per day, are licensed and the helipad operator is individually responsible for the safety and safety of helping operations.
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In the findings, after examining the pieces of the helicopter, the AAIB stated that the main rotor blades and hubs, tail rotor drive systems and tail rotor assembly, flight control, hydrauls, landing gear, and fuel system showed very little evidence of pre-accidental discrepancies. “There was no evidence of engine fire, failure or malfunction before the initial effect. All available evidences are corresponding to general engine operations and power distribution until the aircraft affected the area,” said this.
It further stated that in the absence of a mate facility in the valley, “everything depends on the perception of the individual pilot”. “With the frequent changes in the weather conditions in the valley, this process of total dependence on the perception of pilots cannot be trusted at all times. In addition, in the SOP, in the SOP, it is mentioned that there should be a personnel from each operator who are doing Kedarnath Helipad as humans. Boarding/debling of passengers.
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