Is DGCA ‘clean chit’ to Baijayant Panda is really a clean chit? wonders aviation scholar Anil Dhir

Bhubaneswar: Has the Director General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) given a real ‘clean chit’ to the former BJD MP Baijayant Panda in connection with the flying helicopter over Chilika Lake? This is what questioned aviation scholar Anil Dhir.

Dhir has pointed out that though the Director, Air Safety, on behalf of the DGCA has given a clean chit to Panda but he has carefully worded the letter in which he has given his findings into the alleged violations by Baijayant Panda when he piloted his helicopter over Chilka Lake. It said that no violations were observed of the DGCA rules and regulations by Panda during his flight. However, the DGCA report said this carefully by stating “Based on fact and evidence, it could not be established that the helicopter has flown dangerously below the assigned altitude or have landed at Chilika Lake on September 15, 2018.”

What fact and which evidence? wondered Dhir.  It is surprising that the DGCA could give such a report based entirely on what was told to them by Baijayant himself when he appeared before the authorities on the 24th of September. “I was asked to submit documents related to flying timing and other details. I have submitted all the documents to the DGCA. Before me, many people have flown in that area but no action was taken against him,” Baijayant had said after appearing before the DGCA.

The helicopter remained sealed in the hangar at Bhubaneswar, the Flight Data Recorder, the Cockpit Voice Recorder and the GPS have not been accessed. The DGCA had given is report purely on the movement details of the R-44 helicopter. It had the clearance of its flight plan from the Flight Information Clearance and also had permission from the Air Defence Clearance (ADC) from the Military Liasoning Unit MLU (Indian Air Force) at Kolkata.

On the 18^th Sept, S.C. Hota, the Director of the Biju Patnaik International Airport   had said, “We cannot say whether Jay Panda flew over the restricted area or not, but he had certainly taken permission and given us his flight plan. What happens is when the aircraft flies as low as 500-ft above the ground level, it is difficult to avail any data as we lose contact with the chopper after 10-15 miles according to the visual flight rules. We were asked to furnish information on whether there was any movement of any aircraft over Chilika and we had provided only this information as per our limits.”

The Airport Director has admitted that it has no data on the flying height of the craft after it crossed the 15 mile range. There are eyewitness accounts from locals who had seen the copter hovering at a low height which had caused ripples in the lake surface.

The contentions of the Puri Police, who are not ready to accept the report, are right. “We have got the DGCA report on landing of helicopter but we will seek further clarification regarding the altitude of flying,” said Sarthak Sarangi, the SP of Police. The other two helicopters inside the hangar have been released, but the one in which the supposed violation took place is still under seal. The Odisha Police should retrieve the data from the GPS, which can be easily done, Dhir has said.