Mumbai: As the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) begins its probe into the helicopter mishap in Latur involving Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, there is speculation that the heavy blanket of dust that enveloped the aircraft may have led to the accident.
State government officials, who declined to be named, said the helipad hadn’t been watered properly to keep the dust from kicking up due to the wind from the helicopter’s main rotor. This, they said, could be due to the spotlight on the use of tankers to water down helipads for VVIP visits. Last year, Latur was among the drought-affected districts, and the State government had to send a water train to bring relief to people there.
The State government said it will wait for the DGCA’s inquiry report. “The DGCA report is likely to be submitted within a month. Action from our side shall be taken based on the report’s findings,” a senior government official said. He, however, claimed all security norms had been followed and the dust that covered the helicopter was not from the area around the helipad but from leftover construction material nearby. “The helipad was used three months ago. We don’t think there was any compromise on security.”
A Public Works Department (PWD) officer said, “We always read news stories about water tankers being used for VIP visits, which are exaggerated at times. The negative media coverage ultimately hampers work. I am not saying this is the case in this incident, but we cannot rule out the possibility.”
Meanwhile, the State government has begun the process to buy a new helicopter. Prior to the accident, it owned two helicopters, the ill-fated Sikorsky VT-CMM purchased in 2011 and the Dauphin AS 365 N-3 bought in 2001 and is grounded since 2011 for the want of repairs. It also owns one plane, a Superking AB 300).
Till such time that the new helicopter is purchased, the government will have to avail services of the two private firms appointed recently for hiring aircraft. In a Government Resolution published two weeks ago, the General Administration Department (GAD) cited non-availability of government aircraft for urgent travel by VVIPs and the urgent need to hire small planes and helicopters.
