Bengaluru: The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will soon begin a probe into a fire in a private helicopter that was scheduled to ferry Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister K.J. George at the HAL airport on Saturday morning. A DGCA team will conduct the inquiry and submit a report to the directorate in the next three months.
The helicopter that was taxiing towards the runway when a warning beep went off which comes on during technical faults, minor smoke or even improper fuel flow.
The HAL officials clarified that Mr Siddaramaiah was not airborne when the incident occurred. “It’s just a few seconds after the helicopter started taxiing towards the takeoff point when the warning beep went off.
The pilot immediately took a decision to get everyone out of the helicopter, including the Chief Minister. He switched off the engine to avert any further damage,” said an official from the HAL Airport.
The official said that the incident was not a major concern as the fire could have not spread swiftly. “Though the helicopter was full on gas, there was no visible fire or a smoke. The warning beeps may go off for a number of reasons and it is noticed in helicopters quite frequently,” he said.
Aviation experts suggested that the Karnataka government should maintain at least two helicopters at its disposal which could be used for emergency services, besides being used for ferrying of VVIPs.
“Many states have their own helicopters. Karnataka too can have its own fleet. But the government is hesitating as the cost involved in maintaining and flying a helicopter is high,” said an aviation expert.
