Click to play videoNew Delhi: The MET department had stated the weather conditions were bad but the Bell 430 chopper carrying YS Rajasekhara Reddy still took off, only to meet a disastrous end.
Reddy joined a long list of politicians who died in similar accidents like senior Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia, Lok Sabha speaker GMC Balayogi and former Haryana power minister OP Jindal.
But who is to blame? Is it nature playing spoilt sport, human error or plain political pressure? Experts say several times, politicians push the pilots into the danger zone.
“All machines are good and all pilots are good. If only they are allowed to take their own decision. But at times they are pressurised to take a decision and it’s not only the big boss it’s people down below who are trying to pressurise them to take tough decisions,” aviation expert AK Puri said.
Retired Air Vice Marshall K Sridharan, who has written a helicopter safety guidebook, says that the pressure peaks during elections.
“They (VVIPs) have their own agenda and deadlines. If there is a problem and the pilot needs to abort the flight he will think many times. This question keeps coming in their mind that what will be the consequences,” Sridharan said.
Politician and helicopter pilot Jay Panda agrees that the country's elite need to stop doing backseat piloting.
“Pilots are trained not to succumb to pressure but I am sure such things happen. But they should not,” Panda said.
Meanwhile, J-K’s Director Civil Aviation Department Wing Commander S Katoch said, “Knowledge of terrain and topography are a must. I insist of these and I think all states must insist on fulfilling this criteria. Sometimes lack of knowledge of the terrain can prove disastrous.”
The Home Ministry has taken note of the dangers of unsafe flying. It is proposing to have a satellite phone in every VIP plane and helicopter and upgrade the GPS system. But will the VIPs follow suit?
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