DGCA mulling restricting helicopter operations to Char Dham, two operators suspended for violating rules
NEW DELHI: In light of the recent mishaps involving a Kestrel Aviation helicopter at Uttarakhand on Saturday (June 7) and a spate of accidents in the recent past along the Char Dham route, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday said it is considering curtailing helicopter operations in Uttarakhand.
In a related development, two shuttle operators ferrying to Kedarnath were found to have violated the Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) on Monday and their operations were temporarily suspended.
An official release from DGCA said, "Directives have been issued to all helicopter operators, restricting operations to OGE (Out of Ground Effect) conditions until further orders. As a precautionary measure, DGCA is also reviewing the necessity of curtailing the helicopter operations to Char Dham if required. "
Elaborating on OGE, a senior DGCA official said that this permitted only less load to be carried in each aircraft. "For Kedarnath operations if done in OGE, it will entail a minimum of one passenger less in every sortie for AS350 type of helicopter. For Bell 407 type of helicopter, operations will have to be curtailed to only one or two shuttles followed by a refuelling halt." Presently, operations are in IGE (In Ground Effect) and this allows a higher amount of load to be carried.
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