Aviation officials visit Tripura in Pawan Hans probe

Agartala, Sep 16: A five member team of Safety Division of Aviation Regulatory Board has spoken to the Airports Authority of India and Pawan Hans officials here in connection with an enquiry.

The officials yesterday noted down the statement of the pilot and co-pilot of a Pawan Hans helicopter, which had strayed out of the Indian airspace and landed in Bangladesh last week.

The team, led by Mr H N Mishra, left Tripura last evening after holding separate meetings with the concerned aviation staff and taking the route chart, map and digital voice recorder that taped the audio version of the conversation between the Agartala Air Traffic Control (ATC) and pilot before the helicopter landed in Bangladesh.

The five-seat Pawan Hans helicopter was on its way from Agartala to Gandacherra, a remote sub-division of Tripura, 155 km north of here, to pick up a patient and suddenly its links with the ATC were cut off and it landed in Bangladesh.

Airports Authority of India officials here immediately informed New Delhi with the External Affairs and Civil Aviation Ministries taking up the matter with the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and after four hours of scheduled departure the helicopter had flew back to Agartala.

Official sources said the Ministry of Aviation had ordered enquiry into the incident and at the final stage of investigation the concerned officials came to Agartala and spoke to the concerned pilot Arun Opal and G.Kurubilla, besides other officials.

UNI