'Independent safety boards needed in each country'

Bangalore, Sep 22 (UNI) Speakers at a national seminar on Helicopter Emergency Medical Services and Air Ambulance today mooted the setting up of independent safety boards in each country, besides stressing the need for ensuring that accident findings are unbiased.

Speakers at the two-day seminar, organised by HAL and Rotary Wing Society of India (Southern wing) at the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd Management Academy here from today, said helicopter operators, in tandem with the Civil Aviation Ministry, should undertake voluntary efforts to achieve their goal of reducing accident rate by 80 per cent in the next ten years.

They also demanded allocation of resoures for creation of data bank on flight safety aspects of civil registered helicopters to help evolve accident trend analysis to be more proactive with respect to accident prevention.

Calling for avoiding pressurising pilots to complete their mission under adverse conditions, they urged the pilots to be more open about reporting incidents.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Helicopter Division Executive Director K K Gupta said over 40 accidents had occurred in the last 15 years, most of which pertained to helicopters owned by State Governments and public sector undertakings, indicating lack of proper maintenance.

UNI SIV GD GM1620