CBI says YSR Reddy's chopper crash was an accident, no sabotage

Ruling out conspiracy or sabotage behind the helicopter crash which killed Andhra Pradesh chief minister YSR Reddy last year, the CBI has held that it was an accident which could have been averted by the pilots.

"The inquiry ruled out any conspiracy or sabotage and concluded that the helicopter crash was an accident which could have been averted had the pilots taken a decision to terminate the journey or change the flight path in view of the adverse weather conditions," a CBI spokesperson said here after the agency submitted its inquiry report today to the state government.

The crash took place in Nallamalla Reserve Forest of AP's Kurnool district on September 2, 2009, killing all five persons on board.

Reddy accompanied by his Principal Secretary P Subramanyam, IAS and his Chief Security Officer ASC Wesley had left Begumpet airport in the state-owned Bell-430 VT APG at 8.38 in the morning to attend an official programme in Chittoor district.

Group Captain SK Bhatia and Captain MS Reddy were flying the chopper.

"The helicopter disappeared from the Radar screen of Air Traffic Control (ATC), Shamshabad, at 9.23.30 hours IST after travelling a distance of 94.1 nautical miles from the Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad," the spokesperson said.

Andhra Pradesh government had sought a CBI probe into the crash following which a preliminary inquiry was registered at CBI, Hyderabad on September 11, 2009.