Debris brought to Pawan Hans for probe

MUMBAI: THE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BUREAU TEAM WILL AGAIN VISIT MUMBAI TO STUDY

THE REASSEMBLED WRECKAGE

A week after the ill-fated Pawan Hans helicopter crash took place, the wreckage was brought to the company on Saturday after which it will be re assembled.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team will again visit Mumbai to study the re-assembled wreckage which will help them study the accident.

Officials from the public sector undertaking confirmed that the wreckage was reassembled in a way that the helicopter’s parts could be seen and studied.

One of the senior officials from Pawan Hans said, “The wreckage is in extremely bad state. Looking at it one cannot imagine the speed at which the helicopter might have crashed into the sea.”

Another official called it to be one of the worst wreckage ever seen. The official said, “The wreckage has small broken pieces and was brought to Pawan Hans on Saturday morning.”

Officials claimed that though there was no official confirmation of the day when the investigating body would be in the city to study the wreckage, the team is expected to be in Mumbai in the coming week. Sanjay Kumar, general manager (Western Region) was unavailable for comment. Dr BP Sharma, chairman and managing director (CMD) said, “Pawan Hans has been in service of ONGC in 1986 and remains on top most priority. We have already appointed a highlevel working group to re-look into present operational procedures. Best of our world standards are already in place in our offshore operations and will be further improved to achieve best of safety standards.”

“Immediate and time bound measures have been initiated and experts are recalled for urgent review,” the chairman and managing director added.

A Dauphin N3 Pawan Hans helicopter with registration VT-PWA, crashed 30 nautical mile off Mumbai coast on January 13.

After a delay of around an hour, it took off from Juhu aerodrome at 10.14 am with two pilots and five deputy general managers of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

It’s last contact with the air traffic control was 10.33am after which it was learnt to be missing in 20 minutes after its take off.

A search and rescue operation by the Coast Guard however confirmed the crash after which five of seven bodies were recovered on the same day.