39 helicopter mishaps took place between 2005-15

Thirty-nine helicopter accidents took place in India from 2005 to 2015, out of which 17 were fatal. As per the report of the Joint Helicopter Safety Analysis team, India (JHSAL) most incidents occurred because the pilots concerned had allegedly failed to judge the situation correctly or were caught unawares.

As per the report, out of these 39 incidents, the causes of four accidents are still unknown as the investigations are ongoing. One such case is the Pawan Hans helicopter crash, whose first anniversary falls on Friday.

A top official from air safety department of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) while talking to The Asian Age said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is investigating in the case, and reports will be out any time soon. The official also said that civil aviation authorities have already started working on the loopholes in order to avoid such incidents in future.

The further recommended safety management training for pilots, crew and ground staff and including more equipment in the fleet.

Commenting on the findings, a helicopter pilot told this newspaper, “Weather plays a vital role in such incidents and sometimes it gets difficult to see anything or find a place to land.”

As per the report in the last ten years, lost of control was the cause of 12 incidents, maintenance issues lead to eight incidents, and low visibility caused 10 incidents while ground problems caused two accidents.

“With this analysis we have come to the conclusion that the causes for helicopter accidents India are similar to those across the world,” said Capt. Udday Gelli, president of Western Region of the RWSI (rotary wing society of India).

According to the JHSAL report, between June 1990 to September 2010 a total of 58 civil helicopter incidents were reported and in this time span 14 incidents happened because pilots lost the control of the aircraft.