Latest news with #KestrelAviation
NDTV
7 hours ago
- General
- NDTV
Aviation Regulator DGCA Orders Audit Of Helicopter Services In Uttarakhand
Mumbai: Aviation safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered special audits/enhanced surveillance into helicopter operations involved in shuttle services in Uttarakhand following a spate of "occurrences" involving choppers during the Char Dham Yatra, according to an official statement on Monday. As a precautionary measure, DGCA is also reviewing the necessity of "curtailing" helicopter operations to Char Dham if required, it said. On June 7, six people, including the pilot, had a narrow escape last Saturday when a Kestrel Aviation helicopter on its way to Kedarnath made an emergency landing on the highway in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand after developing a technical snag during take-off. DGCA has also intensified its oversight of Char Dham helicopter operations by actively monitoring live camera feeds provided by the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) at Kedarnath, it said. Recently, multiple occurrences involving helicopter operations during the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand have underscored the "necessity for further strengthening the safety oversight of these operations," the regulator said. Safety investigation has been initiated for each of these occurrences to identify contributing factors, including mechanical failures, operational errors, and weather-related challenges, according to the statement. "Reaffirming its steadfast commitment to aviation safety, DGCA is responding proactively on these occurrences and has ordered special audits/enhanced surveillance for helicopter operators involved in shuttle services and charter operations in Uttarakhand," it said. Additionally, it said, directives have been issued to all helicopter operators, restricting operations to OGE conditions till further order. "As a precautionary measure, DGCA is also reviewing the necessity of curtailing helicopter operations to Char Dham, if required," the DGCA said. On Monday, the DGCA said, two helicopter operators conducting shuttle and charter services to Kedarnath from their respective helipads failed to adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs), particularly regarding proper helicopter parking. "As a result, swift action was taken, and their operations were suspended for two hours," it said. According to the regulator, any deviation from the SOPs by helicopter operators is detected in real time, which allows immediate corrective measures. Emphasising that it has a "zero tolerance" policy for safety violations, the regulator said in its latest enforcement action the operations of Kestrel Aviation Pvt Ltd in Uttarakhand has been suspended with immediate effect, pending investigation. This is further to suspension of operations of another operator for safety violations in May, it said, without naming the operator.
New Indian Express
10 hours ago
- General
- New Indian Express
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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Business Standard
11 hours ago
- General
- Business Standard
DGCA orders special audit of chopper services in U'khand to check accidents
Aviation safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered special audits/enhanced surveillance into helicopter operations involved in shuttle services in Uttarakhand following a spate of "occurrences" involving choppers during the Char Dham Yatra, according to an official statement on Monday. As a precautionary measure, DGCA is also reviewing the necessity of "curtailing" helicopter operations to Char Dham if required, it said. On June 7, six people, including the pilot, had a narrow escape last Saturday when a Kestrel Aviation helicopter on its way to Kedarnath made an emergency landing on the highway in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand after developing a technical snag during take-off. DGCA has also intensified its oversight of Char Dham helicopter operations by actively monitoring live camera feeds provided by the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) at Kedarnath, it said. Recently, multiple occurrences involving helicopter operations during the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand have underscored the "necessity for further strengthening the safety oversight of these operations," the regulator said. Safety investigation has been initiated for each of these occurrences to identify contributing factors, including mechanical failures, operational errors, and weather-related challenges, according to the statement. "Reaffirming its steadfast commitment to aviation safety, DGCA is responding proactively on these occurrences and has ordered special audits/enhanced surveillance for helicopter operators involved in shuttle services and charter operations in Uttarakhand," it said. Additionally, it said, directives have been issued to all helicopter operators, restricting operations to OGE conditions till further order. "As a precautionary measure, DGCA is also reviewing the necessity of curtailing helicopter operations to Char Dham, if required," the DGCA said. On Monday, the DGCA said, two helicopter operators conducting shuttle and charter services to Kedarnath from their respective helipads failed to adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs), particularly regarding proper helicopter parking. "As a result, swift action was taken, and their operations were suspended for two hours," it said. According to the regulator, any deviation from the SOPs by helicopter operators is detected in real time, which allows immediate corrective measures. Emphasising that it has a "zero tolerance" policy for safety violations, the regulator said in its latest enforcement action the operations of Kestrel Aviation Pvt Ltd in Uttarakhand has been suspended with immediate effect, pending investigation. This is further to suspension of operations of another operator for safety violations in May, it said, without naming the operator.
Mint
12 hours ago
- General
- Mint
DGCA's whip on Uttarakhand operators: Suspends Kestrel Aviation ops after copter crash lands, to conduct live monitoring
After six people onboard a Kedarnath Dham-bound helicopter had a narrow escape when it made an emergency landing on a highway in Rudraprayag on June 7, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday suspended two operators, including Kestrel Aviation, for SOP violations. The DGCA has also decided to intensify safety supervision of helicopter operations in Uttarakhand, including conducting live monitoring and surprise audits, LiveMint has learned. According to a PTI report, the last one month alone has seen four crashes. A private helicopter had to make an emergency landing in Guptkashi of Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district due to a technical fault on Saturday. All the passengers on board the helicopter, en route to Kedarnath Dham, were safe. The helicopter belonged to Kestrel Aviation Private Limited. It made a precautionary landing on the road instead of a helipad. The DGCA said Kestrel Aviation's AW119 (Reg. VT-RNK) helicopter, piloted by Capt RPS Sodhi, experienced a hard landing on the road adjacent to the Barasu helipad. The hard landing of the helicopter on Saturday comes just about a month after another private helicopter on its way to Gangotri temple crashed near Gangnani in Uttarkashi district on May 8, killing six people including five women and the pilot, and leaving one male passenger seriously injured. On May 12, a helicopter returning from Badrinath to Sersi with pilgrims on board was forced to make an emergency landing due to poor visibility in a school playground in Ukhimath. All pilgrims were safe. The helicopter took off again after about an hour when the weather improved, PTI reported. On May 17, a heli ambulance from AIIMS Rishikesh crash-landed near the Kedarnath helipad in Uttarakhand due to damage to its rear part. Fortunately, all three occupants on board – a doctor, a pilot and a medical staff member – escaped unharmed. (This is a developing story. Please check back for updates)
Hans India
2 days ago
- Hans India
Chopper on way to Kedarnath crashlands on highway
Kedarnath: Five pilgrims and a pilot onboard a helicopter had a narrow escape when the aircraft on its way to Kedarnath made an emergency landing on the highway in Rudraprayag district on Saturday after developing a technical snag during take-off, officials said. The pilot sustained minor injuries and was rushed to a hospital, they said. Videos on social media showed the Kestrel Aviation helicopter standing in the middle of the highway, dangerously close to populated buildings and with a parked car damaged by its tail rotor. The helicopter had flown from Badasu base for Kedarnath when it made the emergency landing shortly after take-off on the main road just below the highway near Sirsi following a technical snag, the officials said. Six people onboard the helicopter including the pilot had a close call. People on the ground got scared as they saw the helicopter losing balance in the air and crashlanding on the road, eyewitnesses said. Kedarnath heli service nodal officer Rahul Chaubey said the incident did not affect the heli shuttle service to the Himalayan are underway to remove the helicopter from the highway. Police have issued an appeal to pilgrims going to Kedarnath by road to stay wherever they are as removing the helicopter from the highway and unblocking it can take some time.
