An "Expert" speaks!
The fine words of this anonymous "expert", brought to you via Rotorhub and the FT.. .. .Copters flown by single pilot are dangerous, say experts . .The Times of India; Mar 8, 2002. .. .MUMBAI: Aviation experts here said that in an emergency a helicopter flown by a single pilot can cause safety problems.. .. .Speaking to TNN here on Sunday evening, the experts said that the ill-fated Bell-206 Jetranger helicopter in which Lok Sabha speaker G.M.C.Balayogi was travelling on Sunday was under the sole command of G.V.Menon. The mishap occurred near Kovvadalanka village in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. The speaker was flying from Bhimavaram to Hyderabad.. .. .Said an expert: "Had there been two crew members for which there is a provision, then one of them could have assisted the commander and helped in averting the mishap. I have always opposed the idea of helicopters being flown by a single pilot,'' he stated while requesting anonymity.. .. .He said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had certified the helicopter which belonged to the Bangalore-based Deccan Aviation for single pilot operations. "The DGCA's decision will certainly raise vital safety questions now,'' he added.. .. .A preliminary assessment suggests that the accident was caused by a combination of foul weather and a technical snag in the helicopter. Civil aviation minister Shahnawaz Hussain announced in Ahmedabad that an inquiry has been ordered into the crash.. .. .The experts pointed out that single engine helicopters like the one which crashed cannot operate if the weather suddenly became foul. For this they have to be equipped with standby instruments and matching ground aids."This has to be balanced against the number of times the equipment will be used. Keeping this in view operating a single-engine helicopter in bad weather is neither practical or economically viable,'' the expert stated.. .. .The Bell Jetranger helicopters were initially produced when the US army said it was buying light observation helicopters. In the competition Bell lost to Hughes. But, US army officials were unhappy with the performance of the Hughes helicopters and decided to revamp its fleet. In the second phase of the competition, Bell's Jetranger helicopters bagged the prestigious deal. One of its earlier variants first flew on January 10,1966 and received the certification of the US Federal Aviation Adminstration on October 20, 1966.. .. .A large number of these helicopters have been built since 1966. They can accommodate four passengers and are generally used for corporate travel and tourist promotion. They have two seats in the cockpit, but have been certified for single-pilot operations.