The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Copter crash: role of officials, pilot comes under scanner

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Wednesday, Sep 09, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Copter crash: role of officials, pilot comes under scanner

M. Rajeev

Officials lax in communicating weather data
Pilot Bhatia’s attitude raises questions

HYDERABAD: As investigations into the helicopter crash that claimed the life of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and four others are progressing, evidence suggesting a human angle to the tragedy is slowly surfacing.

While questions are being raised about the role of pilot S.K. Bhatia, the failure of the district officials in communicating the weather conditions in time is likely to come under the scanner.

The Andhra Pradesh Aviation Corporation Limited, in its circular to the Collectors and SPs of Chittoor, Nellore and Prakasam issued a few days ahead of the VIP’s visit, had warned about “fast-changing climatic conditions and active monsoon.”

Though the warning was issued with regard to preparing helipads for landing the chopper, officials did not take the cue about the prevailing adverse seasonal conditions in which the chopper was to fly.

The pilot, S.K. Bhatia, is learnt to have snubbed senior police officers at the Begumpet airport when they inquired as to whether he had information about the weather in the Rayalaseema region.

According to senior officials, Bhatia’s extended deputation to the State government had ended on June 3 and the IAF had refused to extend it any further, but he continued to fly the chopper.

A letter addressed by the Aviation Corporation said Bhatia had caused embarrassment to YSR on an earlier occasion for which a memo was served to him as he “discretely appeared” to compromise VVIP safety. Bhatia allegedly refused to undergo mandatory pre-flight medical examination in clear violation of civil aviation requirement issued by the DGCA while he continued flying the chopper on January 16, in spite of a technical snag, with the Dalai Lama on board.

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