Mumbai: The initial probe conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the accident involving the helicopter bearing Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Latur last month has prima facie found lapses on the part of the pilot. The AAIB, which comes under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, has submitted its probe report, a source said.
Mr. Fadnavis had a narrow escape when his helicopter became entangled in high tension wires and crash-landed within seconds of taking off from Nilanga village in Latur district on May 25, when the pilot tried to land due to bad weather.
“The pilot failed to assess the load on the helicopter on a day of high temperature. Since heat makes it harder for aircraft to get off the ground, he should not have taken off with a near-full load,” an official said. Also, the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) required for helicopter operations were also not followed properly, an AAIB source said.
Areas surroundings the helipad should be cleared of obstacles like electric poles or wires, which is part of the SOP, the AAIB official said. “It was also not followed properly.”
The State government’s six-year-old Sikorsky helicopter was damaged beyond repair in the accident. Besides Mr. Fadnavis, his personal secretary, personal assistant and media adviser were also on board.
