Cyclic Hotline
30th Nov 2005, 14:41
Dhruv grounded, HAL checks say ‘fail-safe’
RAMU PATIL
BANGALORE, NOV 29: Despite grounding its Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv after a mishap four days ago, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) said that it has proved its crashworthiness and lived up to claims that it was a ‘fail-safe’ chopper.
In the first accident involving the Dhruv, the pilot, Wg Cdr Krishna, who was flying at 5,000 feet, experienced a tail rotor malfunction but was able to land safely. Normally, any helicopter with such a failure at that height would have gone into a spin and crash landed, say experts.
‘‘The problem is specific to this particular helicopter and is nothing to do with the entire fleet that will start flying after the exact cause for mishap is identified,’’ said HAL Rotary Wing Chief Test Pilot C D Upadhyay. ‘‘After a mishap, the grounding of aircraft of the same family is normal practice world over,’’ he added.
The accident took place near Karimnagar in Andhra Pradesh on Friday after the military registered-helicopter took off from Hyderabad. At an altitude of 5,000 feet, Krishna faced an in-flight emergency when the chopper lost its directional control due to tail rotor failure.
‘‘The accident has certainly proved the ALH’s crashworthiness. When a tail rotor malfunctions, it is a grave emergency. But in this case the chopper landed safely,’’ said air marshal (retd) K Sridharan, president, Rotary Wing Society of India.
‘‘The design of the chopper, including its clear cockpit visibility and crashworthiness of its fuel tanks helped to land it safely,’’ said pilot Krishna, who has 5,000 hours to his credit and has flown 16 types of helicopters. He has also been instructor at IAF Test Pilot School in the city twice.
Meanwhile, an inquiry is on to find out the reason for the rotor malfunction.
RAMU PATIL
BANGALORE, NOV 29: Despite grounding its Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv after a mishap four days ago, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) said that it has proved its crashworthiness and lived up to claims that it was a ‘fail-safe’ chopper.
In the first accident involving the Dhruv, the pilot, Wg Cdr Krishna, who was flying at 5,000 feet, experienced a tail rotor malfunction but was able to land safely. Normally, any helicopter with such a failure at that height would have gone into a spin and crash landed, say experts.
‘‘The problem is specific to this particular helicopter and is nothing to do with the entire fleet that will start flying after the exact cause for mishap is identified,’’ said HAL Rotary Wing Chief Test Pilot C D Upadhyay. ‘‘After a mishap, the grounding of aircraft of the same family is normal practice world over,’’ he added.
The accident took place near Karimnagar in Andhra Pradesh on Friday after the military registered-helicopter took off from Hyderabad. At an altitude of 5,000 feet, Krishna faced an in-flight emergency when the chopper lost its directional control due to tail rotor failure.
‘‘The accident has certainly proved the ALH’s crashworthiness. When a tail rotor malfunctions, it is a grave emergency. But in this case the chopper landed safely,’’ said air marshal (retd) K Sridharan, president, Rotary Wing Society of India.
‘‘The design of the chopper, including its clear cockpit visibility and crashworthiness of its fuel tanks helped to land it safely,’’ said pilot Krishna, who has 5,000 hours to his credit and has flown 16 types of helicopters. He has also been instructor at IAF Test Pilot School in the city twice.
Meanwhile, an inquiry is on to find out the reason for the rotor malfunction.