Exactly two years ago, on this day (Sunday), India’s first multi-role light transport aircraft programme Saras had suffered a major setback following the crash of its second prototype (P2) on the outskirts of Bangalore, killing three IAF officers on board.
Exactly two years ago, on this day (Sunday), India’s first multi-role light transport aircraft programme Saras had suffered a major setback following the crash of its second prototype (P2) on the outskirts of Bangalore, killing three IAF officers on board.
Putting the past behind, the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) — the designer of the aircraft — is now planning to conduct the first flight of the third prototype (P3) by this year-end or early next year.
Sources in NAL said that several factors, right from the crash to the probe report on it by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and later the aviation regulators’ audit had held up the project which was to attain certification by now. DGCA had came down harshly on NAL, questioning why the Bangalore-based Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-governed laboratory had employed private contractors to design the aircraft and also slammed it for incorrect relight procedure which led to the crash killing two pilots — Wing Commander Praveen K and Wing Commander Dipesh Shah along with a Flight Test Engineer Squadron Leader Ilayaraja.
“Incorrect relight procedure devised by the designer and adopted by the crew at insufficient height led to rapid loss of altitude and abnormal behaviour of aircraft resulted in the accident,” the report had stated.
As part of the relighting test, one of the engines of the P2 was switched off successfully and when the crew attempted to relight the engine, it lost communication with ground stations and the aircraft started loosing height and crashed to the ground.
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