11 February,2009 07:45 AM IST | | Aditya Anand
While Air India Captain S K Kohli's action of slamming the emergency brakes of the Delhi-bound Airbus has been widely commended, the IAF helicopter pilot's decision to land right in the way of the aircraft is being questioned by experts familiar with investigation of aviation mishaps.
It was in accordance with Rule 141 of Aircraft Rules 1937, which the Indian Air Force (IAF) also follows, that captain Kohli was prompted to apply the emergency brakes that averted the mishap. "The rule lays down duties of the pilot-in-command, making him responsible for the operation and safety of the aircraft, passengers and cargo.
This means that the ATC instructions, weather forecast, navigational advisory and technical instructions are binding on the pilot-in-command," said aviation expert Vipul Saxena, commending captain Kohli's action.
The Air India aircraft carrying 148 passengers had attained only decision speed or V1, which helped in safely aborting the takeoff. "Once a higher speed is attained, any attempt to brake or halt the aircraft is likely to end in a crash, as the plane would then speed out of the runway," said Captain Kohli.
IAF enquiry
The IAF spokesperson informed that a parallel inquiry was underway. "The helicopter pilots had followed the instructions from the ATC thoroughly. The choppers were cleared to takeoff from INS Kunjali and land at Santacruz between two taxiways," the spokesperson said. Experts familiar with the course of investigation interestingly also wondered if the helicopter pilots had followed Rule 141 meticulously.
Miscommunication
A senior retired Air Marshal told MiD DAY that though the helicopter formation was named Pratap 1, 2 and 3, their order of flying was not necessarily so, for security reasons. Though it is the leader of the formation that communicates with the ATC, the leader may be the last in the actual flying formation. The retired Air Marshal believes that the position of the leader should at all times be conveyed to the ATC and in the event of a security risk, an IAF protocol man should handle the helicopter movement from the ATC tower to ensure that details of the chopper formation are kept guarded.
In trouble
Following the near miss at Mumbai airport on Monday, Radar controller G Murali and Tower Controller Mandeep Singh were derostered till the incident was fully investigated and a report prepared and submitted by the joint director of DGCA,u00a0A K Chopra
