DGCA suspends Pawan Hans helicopter services across the north-east
06 May 2011
Guwahati: Under pressure India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has finally suspended commercial operations of Pawan Hans helicopters across the north-east region. The move comes on the back of two deadly crashes in the state of Arunachal Pradesh that have killed 23 people, including the state's chief minister last Saturday.
In the latest crash, Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Dorjee Khandu died when his chopper slammed into a mountainside off the Se La Pass in Tawang district on Saturday.
Earlier, on 19 April, a Pawan Hans MI-172 helicopter crashed at Naharlagun, killing 17 people on board.
Captain Mahal, deputy general manager (operations) of Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd, said, "Yes, our operations in the northeast have been suspended following the mishap in which the Arunachal Pradesh chief minister died. The DGCA is carrying out checks and reviews of our choppers deployed in the region. Various teams have been formed to carry out checks and I cannot say how long this process would take."
Sources in the Arunachal Pradesh civil aviation department said the chief minister was always using a twin- engine chopper from the available fleet in the state. It was the first time that Khandu was allocated a single-engine helicopter exclusively for his use that ultimately crashed.
As for the single engine helicopter allotted to Khandu for his official use, Pawan Hans authorities it was a new one and was given on lease to the Arunachal Pradesh government on 5 December 2010.
