Recent helicopter crashes spark calls for overhaul of safety protocols

Between May and June, six helicopter-related incidents have happened, with the latest involving a Bell 407 helicopter that crashed on 15 June in Uttarakhand. Most of these crashes occurred in Uttarakhand, a hilly region, around the Char Dham Yatra, an annual Hindu pilgrimage. 

The copter accident followed Air India's London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane crash soon after taking off from Ahmedabad on 12 June.  

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As per experts that Mint spoke to, there are frequent helicopter-related incidents due to insufficient regulatory oversight, pilot fatigue and lack of infrastructure. Industry stakeholders and safety experts are now calling for a structural overhaul to ensure safety in operations.

As per the latest data from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), there are over 250 helicopters currently registered and operating in India. Most of these helicopters are being operated by non-scheduled operators like private operators and corporate entities, followed by government bodies.

Helicopters operations in India majorly take place for pilgrimage in the hills or in metro cities. Most of the incidents have been reported from the hills.

Aviation expert and former director general of civil aviation M.R. Sivaraman pointed out that are frequent helicopter-related incidents because there is no clear control or strict oversight on helicopter operations. He feels there should be a separate wing within the DGCA focusing only on helicopters.

“DGCA must have a separate helicopter wing in the DGCA to take care of maintenance and training of pilots and checks and rechecks etc. Most importantly, the DGCA must be headed by someone with aviation background or a technical background," said Sivaraman.

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Captain S. Chakravarthy, a former IAF Chetak helicopter pilot, said that the private helicopter operators, especially in Char Dham sites, do not adhere to the set flying norms.

“There is operational pressure which leads to taking short cuts in day-to-day operations. Revenue management creates pressure on pilots for maximum profits, majorly resulting in more flying time for pilots," said Captain Chakravarthy.

Queries emailed to DGCA, Union ministry of civil aviation, copter service operators Pawan Hans, Himalayan Heli, Global Helicorp, Thumby Aviation and Heritage Aviation remained unanswered till press time.

As per DGCA's Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), pilots can fly a maximum of 8 hours every day. As per the norms, weekly rest of minimum 48 hours and daily rest of 12 hours is mandated for them.

Sivaraman also claimed that the FDTL norms are not being followed properly. “Pilots are under tremendous commercial pressure, resulting in less than mandated rest time, affecting safety. During this season, the weather is uncertain, making it more challenging to fly in the Char Dham region," he said.

Need for new SOPs

Both experts are of the view that the copter service industry needs more pilots. Most of the pilots that fly helicopters are former Indian Air Force pilots followed by other defence forces.

Captain Chakravarthy, who also flies in the Char Dham region, said there is a need to realign the standard operating procedure and there is a need to expand training for helicopter pilots in India.

“Most of the pilots in commercial flying are former trained military and Air Force pilots. These pilots are trained in a different helicopter for a different war-like circumstance which is entirely different from normal passenger commercial operations," said Captain Chakravarthy. He also feels that familiarization of training should be well audited by the DGCA.

On the other hand, Sivaraman said there's an urgent need to develop training infrastructure for helicopter pilots.

Flying challenges in Uttarakhand

Sivaraman said Uttarakhand sees mostly private chopper operations and the flying conditions are very difficult due to high altitude. Uttarakhand saw five major helicopter incidents in the state in a span of 40 days.

“There must be a DGCA office in Dehradun, and there should be senior pilots and senior engineers there to ensure SOPs are being followed. There are so many helicopters operating from various manufacturers, there's a need to oversee safety," said Sivaraman

The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) is the body responsible for the sector's development in the state. UCADA was established in 2013 to strengthen and develop the aviation sector and the existing helipads, construct new helipads. Queries mailed to UCADA remained unanswered till press time.

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Both the experts highlighted an urgent need of having more weather stations especially in the Char Dham region. “There must be a weather station across Char Dham for 24 hours, that should continuously broadcast weather changes quickly. Unless clear weather conditions, no private Helicopter should be allowed to fly," added the former DGCA.

Government Action

Recently, the DGCA announced spot checks and comprehensive audits of helicopter operators in Uttarakhand. All flying activities are also being closely monitored by DGCA and UCADA. The Uttarakhand government recently announced that only twin-engine helicopters will be allowed to fly in the Char Dham region.