Tuesday, 25 April 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
DGCA issues orders again to service providers for ensuring safety of passengers
Teams of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will handle the probe into the causes that led to the death of finance controller of Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) Amit Saini after he was accidentally hit by the tail rotor of a helicopter at Kedarnath on Sunday.
The chief executive officer of UCADA C Ravi Shankar told The Pioneer that AAIB and DGCA are the bodies that conduct investigations into such accidents in aviation. He said that teams of both bodies will investigate the matter and take action accordingly. On the question of what actions are being taken to ensure such accidents do not happen again, Shankar said that private companies providing helicopter services are always asked to ensure the compliance to rules for the safety of travellers and others, especially when people embark or disembark at helipads. He said that DGCA has once again issued orders to the companies and helicopter operators to ensure passengers are made aware of the guidelines before they board the chopper and follow it every time they board or disembark at helipads. He said that DGCA has made it clear that strict action will be taken against such companies and operators violating the rules that can potentially cause accidents.
It is pertinent to mention here that Saini had died on the spot after being accidentally hit by a helicopter’s tail rotor at the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) helipad at Kedarnath in Rudraprayag district on Sunday at about 2:15 PM. He was part of a UCADA team that had visited the helipad to take stock of the arrangements for the heli services to Kedarnath temple which is scheduled to open on Tuesday.
