IAF choppers can’t be blamed for Mumbai near mishap: air chief
February 11th, 2009 - 2:57 pm ICT by IANS
Bangalore, Feb 11 (IANS) Mumbai’s Air Traffic Control (ATC) had given clearance to the three Indian Air Force (IAF) choppers carrying President Pratibha Patil’s entourage that narrowly missed colliding with a passenger aircraft, Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major said Wednesday. “The IAF choppers were not at fault and were given clearance to land on the runway by the ATC,” Major said on the sidelines of the Aero India show in Yelahanka near Bangalore.
“The IAF helicopters were not told to change frequencies and no pilot can change it without being asked to do so. I think we need to finetune the procedures on the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) part,” he said.
Media reports Wednesday said the pilots of the three helicopters had not contacted the airport tower.
On Monday, an Air India aircraft miraculously escaped crashing into President Pratibha Patil’s convoy of helicopters at the Mumbai airport. The president was inside one of three choppers.
The DGCA has ordered an inquiry into the incident.
- Mumbai near-collision probe continues, Air Force defends pilots - Feb 11, 2009
- Mumbai near-miss blame game continues, Patil joins issue with IAF (Lead) - Feb 11, 2009
- IAF chief says uniformed pilots not involved in close Mumbai air mishap - Feb 12, 2009
- IAF pilots blamed for near-collision at Mumbai airport - Jul 01, 2009
- Report submitted on near-collision of President's chopper - Jun 23, 2009
- President's chopper near-crash at Mumbai to be probed again - Feb 19, 2009
- Technical snag cuts short indigenous chopper's flight - Feb 10, 2011
- Dhruv choppers grounded after crash - Oct 20, 2011
- Probe hangs fire even a month after president's chopper incident - Mar 09, 2009
- Pilot wisdom saved Munda and others - May 09, 2012
- Antony opens Asia's biggest air show in Bangalore - Feb 09, 2011
- IAF officer to be court-martialled for bribery - Apr 07, 2011
- Air India pilot sights chopper on Mumbai runway, aborts take-off - Feb 09, 2009
- Probe into near-disaster at Mumbai airport begins - Feb 10, 2009
- Aerobatic display by fighter jets, copters to be major attraction of Aero India 2011 - Feb 08, 2011
Tags: aero india, air chief marshal, air india, air traffic control, airport tower, atc, choppers, civil aviation, convoy, directorate general, entourage, fali homi major, helicopters, homi, indian air force, mishap, mumbai airport, passenger aircraft, president pratibha patil, sidelines