Rebuilding Trust Amid Safety Concerns in the Indian Helicopter Sector

Indian helicopter sector currently rides on an awaited upward trajectory. Like any other growth story, the noteworthy pitfalls merit course corrections lest it turns into a damp squib. Recent accidents expose an underbelly inviting sustainable, long-term inclusive measures by stakeholders. Dwindling reputation of the sector is not helped by events costing life of travellers and crew. It would be naive to overlook the credibility perception of potential clientele required to ‘fuel’ its future. Think of the reactions by employees of a PSU (Public Sector Undertaking) refusing to undertake offshore flights with a helicopter operator following series of serious accidents. Translate the scenario for ticket-purchasing passengers and their intimidation by recurrent helicopter accidents. Here, diminishing passenger subscriptions at religious locations could take a while to be notable but would be instinctive for business travellers considering routine helicopter-based transfers as a time saving alternative. Measures to bridge the spreading gap of travellers’ confidence rests on a sustainable framework and procedural depth. These initiatives could be observed as an overview-at-large, and specific pointers from the ground-up. 

Sectoral Stability and the Tripod of Responsibility

The 360-degree view of ecosystem surfaces three stakeholders in the sector. Visualise the sectoral stability balanced by a tripod of three ‘limbs’ as that of the regulator, the operator and the commercials. Making a devil of the commercial ‘limb’ is a paradoxical scapegoat, second only to pilots’ error during accident/incident investigations. The operators’ ‘limb’ is constituted by pilots and AMEs (Aircraft Maintenance Engineers) is the front-desk with client and regulator. Expectations from the regulator are bidirectional; top-down mission of safety and ground-up hope of thwarting opacity and regressive regulations complementing modern day growth. An initiative by RWSI (Rotary Wing Society of India) for an independent, unbiased investigation of abnormal occurrences in helicopter operations could promulgate actionable, meaningful inputs at the lowest level in an immediate period. This suggestion is with limitations of AAIB reports about extended timelines, restricted impact at grass-root levels and underplayed contributing factors possibly due to mandate of evidence beyond reasonable doubt.

Root Causes of Helicopter Accidents

Germane to helicopter accidents are largely three (03) causal factors: CFIT (Controlled Flight into Terrain) in poor visibility conditions under VFR (Visual Flight Rules) or poor training of instrument rated pilots in IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions), negligence of aircraft performance limitations and unpredicted technical failure of aircraft systems. Addressing these requires inclusive participation of operators, a mature approach by the regulator and a commercial oversight commensurate with the local scale of helicopter operations. 

Weather Monitoring Solutions: Leveraging Technology for Safer Operations

Weather deterioration causing inadvertent IMC and closely relatable to CFIT, has a ready solution. Deployment of suggested system below in valleys is an undebatable asset for pre-departure decision making process. It facilitates relevant weather data access to crew as well as other operational staff in a non-ad hoc format. Adapted from FAA interactive website (https://weathercams.faa.gov/map/-134.00694,61.72649,-100.25694,67.75537/cameraSite/530/details/camera), the portal transforms meteorological text reporting format to a relatable, relevant picture streaming from reporting ‘stations’. These ‘Stations’ can be logically positioned at enroute locations and the helipad for weather updates. Annotated pictures help crew and operations staff identify relevant direction of visibility and cloud base, the two most critical elements in enroute phase of flight; prevailing temperature, winds and pressure data are available via AWOS (Automatic Weather Reporting Stations) at helipad. Prevalent random weather pictures shared on social media do not provide an actionable perspective unless the viewer is closely familiar with picture’s location. A real-time data from AWOS network along a valley-route/helipads available on smartphones/laptops can facilitate timely intervention for a GO/NO-GO decision before departures. The arrangement adds up an additional layer of realistic weather scrutiny supported by technology. Screenshot from FAA website is placed below for ready reference of the attributes.

Improving Field Conditions for Pilots and Maintenance Engineers

Operators ‘fronting’ pilots and AMEs as field representatives shape up their working conditions away from parent bases, the prime revenue generating domain for helicopter operations. For example, planning for first take off at sunrise and last landing at sunset without the facility of lighted hangar does little to help maintenance personnel perform satisfactorily. Consistent first-light take off and last-light landings could silently trigger untoward situations for pilots sometime ahead. Given the present-day scope of surveillance, it would be easy to identify suchlike practices by regulator. 

Realistic Assessments of Pilot Proficiency

A flawless report of operators’ surveillance inspections is generally considered unrealistic by DGCA. On the same lines, impeccable performances by all pilots in all check-rides too may not reflect a truthful picture of pilots’ proficiency levels in the environment. An introspection about regulatory proficiency levels required by DGCA but peripherally reflected by accidents could be an area of deliberation. A mandate of at least one (01) annual-basis independent assessment at an FTO/ATO for each pilot parallelly reported to DGCA could be a consideration. Demonstrated performances of pilots during check rides would present an accurate cross-section of prevailing professional competence in Indian helicopter cockpits. Professional competence of pilots has a natural contribution in performance exceedances like ‘overloading’, short circuiting normal procedures, alienation with emergency procedures, and questionable weather handling. ‘Against’ argument about cost implications to this proposition (by operators) would be on a shaky ground. Yearly revenue data, new inductions and continuous fresh entrants joining the sector indicate commercial viability of this recommendation. ‘Cost’ argument against the proposed third-party pilots’ assessment is thus ‘dead-on-arrival’ representation. Notwithstanding, even if associated with reasonable costs, an independent annual check on pilots’ proficiency cannot be overlooked against the ill-affordable safety status demonstrated by spell of recent accidents.

Heliport Infrastructure and Regulatory Oversight

For helicopter operators to perform satisfactorily, a mandate about quality and adequacy of facilities & services at heliports must be regulated proportionate to the charges levied. Under ‘Helicopter Landing Areas (HLA) used on Regular Basis’ regulation, operations are covered for more than seven days (07) period in a block of 30-day cycle. Size of operations at helipads like Sahastradhara Dehradun, or helipads used for shuttle services to Sri Kedarnath Temple could have extended well beyond the envisaged scope of DGCA CAR Section 4 – Aerodrome Standards & Licensing, Series 'B' Part V addressing regular basis HLA. The observation lies in context of legitimised transfer of responsibility about minimum facilities from heliport operator to helicopter operator at Para 1.4, or at para 1.2, wherein the responsibility of safety is solely entrusted on helicopter operator. Scale of present-day operations is thus a mismatch with yesteryears’ vision that shaped existing regulations. In addition to a regulatory review, an economic-regulatory oversight for heliport operators/civil aviation department of state government (as applicable) becomes necessary. Checks and balances for a fair return of services against charges levied by heliport operators or state governments must be inserted. Accountability of multiple helicopter operations in a respective area generating revenues, and periodic audit on quality of facilities could thus be introduced through appropriate channels. These oversight elements could possibly assist to achieve an acceptable level of safety along with a sensibility of sustainable commercials for Indian helicopter sector.

About the Author

Capt Peeush Kumar is a certified Type Rating Examiner and heads Flight Operations department for a non-scheduled operator. He is a certified Experimental Test Pilot (Rotary Wing), an active author for aviation periodicals and international speaker. Capt Peeush actively pursues deployment of safer PBN (Performance Based Navigation) procedures for Indian helicopters through active approach and awareness initiatives. His latest initiative is associated with injection of AAMs (Advanced Air Mobility systems) in Indian airspace. Reachable at Peeush_Saini@yahoo.co.in (+919916654775)