Five persons were killed when an aircraft on a test flight crashed in a crowded Mumbai suburb this afternoon, police said.
Five persons were killed when an aircraft on a test flight crashed in a crowded Mumbai suburb this afternoon, police said.
Those killed include two pilots and as many flight engineers on board, besides a pedestrian in the Ghatkopar area where it crashed, police said.
The King Air C90 12-seater aircraft, which took off from the Juhu airstrip, crashed in the Jagruti Nagar area of Ghatkopar, police said.
DNA’s Mustafa Plumber spoke to Yeshwant Shenoy who filed a Special Leave petition in the Supreme Court highlights the dangers posed to aircrafts by high rises near the Mumbai airport.
The Bombay High court, in April disposed the petition, on the ground that Height Restrictions (For Safeguarding of Aircraft Operations) Rules, 2015 contain well-defined norms, to check construction around the airport. Shenoy spoke to DNA about his petition and the issues around the Mumbai airport.
Q: You had highlighted the lack of safety for air passengers and airlines, due to the height violations by surrounding buildings, that have come around the airport. What do you make out of the plan crash today?
A: I am absolutely, not surprised about this plane crash happening. This is a small aircraft, pilot may have been searching for an open space for emergency landing, the real reason will come out in the probe which will be carried out now. But, this is just a teaser, hope the authorities, wake up from their slumber and take action or wait for a commercial aircraft to come down and it will be difficult to keep count of the dead.
Q: How many buildings have you said in your plea are violating height norms?
A: Human error is surely one of the possibilities for a plane crash. But around the Mumbai airport due to lack of safety buffer, which has been taken away by construction, of over 200 high rise buildings, the possibility of an accident like this increase.
Q: Do you think Mumbai airport is safe for landing and take-off? Are, authorities taking due care to curb illegal constructions.?
A: The illegal height clearance has resulted in conversion of the Mumbai Airfield into a ‘Minefield’ and with the outdated Obstacle mapping, the pilots flying into Mumbai are flying blind. If any of the aircraft crashes into any of these buildings, the result will undoubtedly be catastrophe.
Yeshwant Shenoy is an advocate on the rolls of the of the Bar Council of Kerala. He has been enrolled as an advocate in 2001. He possesses a Master’s Degree in Law from Mumbai University and Turin University (Italy). He is also a Ph.D Student at the National Law School of India University, Bangalore.
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 "Ghatkopar Plane Crash and Yeshwant Shenoy")
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