Mumbai: Pawan Hans, which lost five key operational staff to a helicopter crash in January, has roped in the Rotary Wing Society of India (RWSI) to carry out a thorough audit of its helicopter operations.
RWSI, a not-for-profit professional body, specialises in civil and military helicopters. In its preliminary report, the RWSI has made observations about maintenance practices, operational procedures, and safety issues of Pawan Hans, which is a joint venture between the government of India and the ONGC.
“The report says all helicopters hired by the ONGC are being operated by qualified pilots as per the regulatory standards. The helicopters were found to be airworthy, maintained, and operated as per the manufacturers’ guidelines, and there are no non-compliances,” M.S. Boora, general manager, safety, Pawan Hans, said.
On January 13, a Dauphin N3 helicopter, operated by Pawan Hans, crashed off the Mumbai coast and the ONGC lost top operational in-charges of its key Mumbai high oil and gas fields. Two pilots ferrying them to an offshore oil and gas facility were also killed in the accident, the cause of which is still being investigated.
“While the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is probing the reasons for the accident, we wanted to ascertain if the talks of poor maintenance could be a factor,” an official from the ONGC said.
Pawan Hans operates seven Dauphin N3 helicopters for the ONGC’s offshore operations. These choppers are based at Juhu airport and Rajahmundry. They undertake regular passenger crew change service and production trips to meet the offshore requirements of the state-owned oil and gas producer.
As of January 2017, the company has a fleet of 46 helicopters. It was set up to provide helicopter support services to the oil sector, services in remote and hilly areas, and for charter services.
Probe reports, prepared by the DGCA, into 20 of the 25 accidents involving Pawan Hans helicopters over the last 30 years had found improper maintenance, non-adherence to procedures, and non-compliance of safety regulations, by the operator.
Since 1988, 91 people — 60 passengers, 27 pilots and four crew members — have been killed in these accidents.
