NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has introduced new rules for helicopter operations in the Char Dham sector from November 2, following a crash in Uttarakhand that killed all six people on board.
A DGCA official told TNIE, "From November 2, all Char Dham charter flights shall be flown in a two-pilot configuration; the co-pilot shall also be a hill-qualified pilot."
The DGCA has also directed all flights to obtain positive destination and en-route clearance from Control Room Sahastradhara before takeoff for each leg of Char Dham operations.
"All crew shall file a Pilot Report (PIREP) after landing at each destination helipad in Char Dham charters," the official said.
Following the accident, experts and helicopter pilots told TNIE that having a second pilot on board could help reduce accidents.
"Two of them can decide on any urgent action to be taken in case of emergencies. Secondly, much of steering a helicopter in these regions is based on one's vision. Hence, it would be better to have two sets of eyes to monitor all aspects," they said.
An experienced pilot said the pilot of the ill-fated aircraft may have turned to avoid a cloud and hit a hill.
The experts also stressed the need for highly experienced pilots in the Char Dham sector and annual simulator training.