Thaindian News

Bhopal, Sep 6 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s helicopter is being subjected to thorough checks as the state government doesn’t want to take “any chances” following Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s death in a chopper crash, an official said.
A few days ago Chouhan’s flight was delayed for about 15 minutes at the Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Airport in Gwalior as his helicopter was subjected to technical checks, said an official in the state aviation department on the condition of anonymity. Other senior officials, however, described the check as a routine one.

According to the official, a reason for the worry is the fact that the two helicopters that Madhya Pradesh government has are from the same company - Bell - the same make that was carrying Y.S.R. during the tragic crash Wednesday. And one of the helicopters is more than 10 years old, the official added.

The choppers in Madhya Pradesh - Bell 430 and Bell 407 - and the chopper which crashed in Andhra Pradesh have no major difference in design except that the YSR chopper had a sitting capacity of eight passengers against the six of the Madhya Pradesh choppers.

The Bell 430 chopper that has completed its lifespan as per Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) guidelines, first hit the headlines in 2002 when it crashed near Indore with singer Anuradha Paudwal, then Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president Radhakishan Malviya and others on board. There were no casualties in the crash.

Earlier this year during the Lok Sabha elections Chouhan’s chopper had to make an emergency landing. That time Chouhan was travelling by a private chopper because the pre-poll model code of conduct was in place.

However, the state government’s aviation department, though alert after the YSR accident, feels that there is nothing to worry about in Madhya Pradesh as far as maintenance of choppers and the state aircraft is concerned.

“There are three vital components of aviation - training of pilots, quality control of flying machines and judging the weather conditions at the time of flying - and the government never compromises on these,” said a senior officer, declining to be named.

“As far as airworthiness of the machines is concerned, we have got our own quality control management and we strictly stick to the DGCA’s guidelines,” he said.

“Besides, the DGCA staff also checks the maintenance of choppers from time to time,” he added.

The state’s Principal Secretary (Aviation) Iqbal Singh Bains said: “We review the maintenance of the state choppers/plane regularly.”

State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vice-president Anil Dave, who looks after the aviation aspect of the party, said: “During elections time nothing is left to chance as far as the maintenance of choppers is concerned. After all, no pilot would like to risk his life by ignoring the maintenance aspect. But on the other hand, it should also be kept in mind that any machine can develop a snag anytime.”

After the death of YSR, Chouhan told mediapersons that there was a need for comprehensive technical examinations of choppers and planes with state governments.