DGCA’s fresh guidelines, special training to avoid chopper crashes in Himalayas | Latest News India

New Delhi: Pilots flying helicopters within the Himalayas will obtain specialised coaching primarily based on a brand new, extra stringent algorithm to avert frequent accidents within the mountainous area, India’s aviation regulator instructed HT.

“Maintaining in view of the incidents and a deadly accident that happened in 2022 , the DGCA has instituted numerous extra measures this yr to make sure security of operations,” an official of the Directorate Basic of Civil Aviation stated, declining to be named.

A chopper crash close to the Kedarnath shrine within the Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand killed six pilgrims and the pilot in October final yr.

Guaranteeing flight security in hilly areas has been a recurring concern, with the Kedarnath space alone reporting no less than 9 helicopter crashes between 1990 to 2019. In June 2013, three choppers crashed whereas conducting rescue operations in the course of the 2013 Kedarnath tragedy, killing 23 folks, together with Indian Air Power personnel.

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In July 2013, a pilot and a co-pilot of a personal chopper have been killed because it crashed minutes after taking off from flood-hit Kedarnath. In April 2018, one particular person was killed and three others injured when an air power cargo helicopter caught fireplace whereas touchdown in Kedarnath.

“The DGCA has launched an extra hill test for pilots working to helipads at 10,000 ft from this yatra season,” an official of the civil aviation ministry stated, wishing to stay unnamed. “That is being accomplished to make sure that pilots working to helipads at such excessive altitudes are educated and checked for secure operations in the identical circumstances, thereby enhancing security.”

4 Hindu shrines in Uttarakhand, referred to as Char Dham, are a well-liked pilgrimage undertaken between Might and September yearly. Kedarnath is one among them. All 4 shrines are positioned at excessive altitudes the place climate circumstances can change quickly.

“The yatri (pilgrim) footfall this yr has been very massive and already a complete of round 4,200 shuttle flights involving transportation of round 23,000 passengers have been flown within the interval from April 25 to 19 Might, though the climate throughout this preliminary interval has been notably unhealthy as in comparison with earlier years ,” the ministry official stated.

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Explaining the significance of introducing the hill test, Uday Gelli, president of Rotary Wings Society of India, a non-profit skilled society, stated that it requires particular abilities to function helicopters as air density begins declining at excessive altitudes.

“Dealing with helicopters for take-off and touchdown requires particular abilities. When helicopters are being operated at most permissible weights at these altitudes, pilots are vulnerable to make errors if they don’t have enough excessive altitude flying expertise,” Gelli stated. “Subsequently, it’s a step in the suitable path that pilots needs to be checked out for working above 10,000 ft.”

“Merely having flown in excessive altitudes many years earlier doesn’t imply {that a} pilot is proficient. Such pilots with lengthy breaks and never a lot expertise at excessive altitudes ought to go for refresher coaching with skilled and present pilots,” he added.

The aviation regulator has additionally mandated utilising the Activation of Airborne Picture Recording System (AIRS), a picture recording system put in in a selected sort of helicopter. “Nevertheless, not all helicopters don’t possess this technique,” an official stated.

AIRS data the flying instrument indications and different parameters by video recording the cockpit and by recording sure parameters utilizing GPS. The necessary activation of this technique in these helicopters geared up with this technique permits the good thing about publish flight evaluation of flight parameters, guaranteeing compliance to plain working procedures by pilots.

This yr, the Kedarnath pilgrimage began on April 25. Helicopter shuttle providers additionally started on the identical date by seven operators permitted by the directorate after an inspection carried out from April 20- 23. The regulator plans to comply with up on these extra measures by common spot checks in the course of the pilgrimage season, officers stated.

“These spot checks are unannounced visits by DGCA inspectors to recheck compliance of the SOPs and all different related rules by the operators,” stated the DGCA official cited earlier. “Such spot checks guarantee continued oversight on the flying operations by DGCA, and guarantee the next stage of security.”

The Uttarakhand authorities, together with the DGCA, has additionally put in 9 CCTV cameras round every helipad in Guptkashi to Kedarnath in Rudraprayag district to intently monitor air operations.