DGCA calls for high safety levels in helicopters

New Delhi, June 12: Military and civil aviation experts today called for greater efforts by helicopter manufacturers, operators and the regulator to ensure adequate safety standards and reduce the current high rate of accidents.

Nearly 74 per cent of helicopter accidents are due to human factor (pilot error), said director general of civil aviation Kanu Gohain.

''The operators' commitment to safety standards is must,'' he told an industry meet here. ''We must improve operational measures also.'' Mr Gohain said helicopter operators who violate safety standards will be dealth with sternly. Since April 2005, there has been no air accident in the country so far.

Mr Somen Chowdhury, executive committee member of the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST), said there is need to develop safety management systems to reduce air accidents.

There are 140 helicopters in the country, representing 0.5 per cent of the world's chopper population.

Mr Chowdhury, who is also manager at Bell Helicopter's international research division, said a challenging role is to reduce accidents by 80 per cent globally over the next 10 years.

Design technologies adopted in present helicopter and aircraft development have considerably increased reliability of new generation machines, he said.

Over 100 experts are participating in the IHST Regional Conference to Improve Civil and Military (non-combat) Helicopter Safety.

UNI