Panel to probe working of private aircraft firms

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT. 1. The Government today constituted a high-level committee to go into the functioning of private companies which are in the business of providing smaller aircraft on hire.

The decision to set up the panel which would also review the system and procedure for acquisition and maintenance of small aircraft was taken at a meeting convened by the Civil Aviation Minister, Syed Shawnawaz Hussain, in the wake of Sunday's plane crash in which the senior Congress leader, Mr. Madhavrao Scindia, and seven others were killed.

The three-member committee is headed by Mr. Sunil Arora, CMD, Indian Airlines, and Joint Secretary in the Civil Aviation Ministry.

It would look into the operational aspects and make further recommendations on measures that would help make flying by smaller aircraft safer, Mr. Hussain said.

The panel has been asked to submit its report within fifteen days. Mr. H.S. Khola, Director-General, Civil Aviation, and Mr. Robey Lal, member (operations), Airports Authority of India, are the other members of the panel which has been given the option of co-opting more members if necessary.

No one in the Civil Aviation Ministry was prepared to say anything definitely about the cause of the crash of the 10- seater Cessna aircraft carrying Mr. Scindia.

However, the possibility of bad weather having contributed to the disaster was not being ruled out even as it was being said that the twin- engine sophisticated machine could fly safely in all types of weather.

The cause would be known only after the return of the official of the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation who has been asked to probe the crash. The official was still at the crash site and yet to make a preliminary assessment, Ministry sources said.

One thing that was being acknowledged was that the pilot had asked for a shorter route.

He had been advised to contact the Agra ATC for that purpose. However, no contact was established with the Agra ATC by the pilot.

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