Committee of inquiry set up into Tawang chopper crash

April 23rd, 2011 - 7:42 pm ICT by ANI  

New Delhi, Apr 23(ANI): The Central Government on Saturday appointed a committee of inquiry headed by Air Marshal (Retd.) P.P. Rajkumar to inquire into the circumstances of accident of a Pawan Hans helicopter in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang district.

Seventeen people were killed when a MI-172 helicopter, on a flight from Guwahati in Assam to Tawang, caught fire as it was preparing to land and crashed into a gorge on April 19.

The committee also comprises of Air Commodore (Retd.) Rai Krishan and Wing Commander (Retd.) Rabinder Singh.

M.J. Singh, Deputy Director of Air Safety, has also been appointed as Secretary to the committee.

The committee, which will be based in New Delhi, will also take assistance of other experts/ agencies whenever required and submit its report to the Central Government within three months.

Meanwhile, Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited (PHHL) has announced an interim compensation of Rs. one lakh for the deceased and Rs.50, 000 for the injured. Final compensation shall however, be determined as per law.

The Union Civil Aviation Ministry has also advised the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to launch a reassurance drive in order to ensure that all helicopters are being operated and maintained in accordance with the approved procedures and with safety aspect in place.

The DGCA has also been advised to undertake immediate assessment of helipads particularly in critical areas where helicopter operations are undertaken in a drive mode, and to ensure implementation of monitoring/ review of safety regulations to be implemented by State Governments. (ANI)

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