Two ATC officials in Mumbai have been taken off duty pending an inquiry into the near miss between an Air India plane and a helicopter belonging to the president's entourage.
A day after the near miss between an Air India plane and a helicopter in president Pratibha Patil’s convoy at Mumbai airport, the public investigation board (PIB) probing the incident temporarily derostered two air traffic control (ATC) officials.
The PIB — comprising members from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Airports Authority of India (AAI), ATC, Indian Air Force (IAF) and AI — started its probe on Tuesday.
On Monday evening itself a DGCA team led by its joint director AK Chopra reached Mumbai. “On Tuesday, they went through cockpit voice recorders of the plane and helicopter, and even a Kingfisher flight scheduled for departure after the AI flight. They also called AI pilot, SS Kohli, for questioning,” an airport official said.
The derostered officials are tower controller G Murli and radar controller Mandeep Singh. The civil aviation ministry said the two have “not been suspended but derostered as per standard DGCA procedures for the period of the investigation”. The AI pilots have been cleared by the DGCA to resume flight duties.
The PIB will suggest construction of separate helipads at the airport to avoid incidents like Monday’s, a DGCA official said. Two to 10 helicopters use the runway for landing and take-off every day, adding to the ATC’s task of coordinating the movements of around 670 flights. “Scheduled flights have to be on hold when a helicopter lands or takes off. The minutes add on leading to delays,” an airport official said.
Till 1998, helicopters used the Juhu aerodrome in the day, and apron area of the airport after sunset. “But one evening, two helicopters simultaneously landed in the apron area and got damaged. Sharad Yadav was then civil aviation minister. After this, the apron area was closed and ever since the runway has been used by choppers,” an airport official said.
“It’s high time Mumbai airport has a helipad,” said aviation expert Capt A Ranganathan. “Choppers should not be allowed on the runway. Not only do they cause confusion, but also slow down air traffic inconveniencing passengers.”
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