2009 Andhra Pradesh helicopter crash
Encyclopedia
The 2009 Andhra Pradesh helicopter crash occurred on September 2, 2009 near Rudrakonda Hill, 40 nautical miles (74.1 km) from Kurnool
, Andhra Pradesh
, India
. The helicopter was a Bell 430
helicopter owned by the Andhra Pradesh Government, and registered VT-APG. Fatalities included Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy
, the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
and Shamshabad
Air Traffic controllers
lost contact with the aircraft at 9:02 am while it was passing through the dense Nallamala forest area.
However, shortly after 09:20 IST, the flight crew encountered a problem with the transmission oil pressure. The pilots became engaged in finding out emergency checklist procedures for the transmission oil pressure, but they were unable to locate them.
Soon after, the co-pilot continually called out "go around", likely indicating that he thought the aircraft would soon crash into something. During the last 14 seconds the rate of descent was extremely high. Thereafter helicopter crashed due to loss of control resulting in high rate of descent in down draught. The helicopter
impacted the ground in a steep left bank and all occupants on board died due to crash injuries.
launched one of the largest search and rescue operations in the history of the country. The state's security officials mentioned that bad weather was hindering the search and rescue efforts. The Home Ministry of India dispatched 5000 CRPF
soldiers for the operation while the Defence Ministry of India ordered the Indian Air Force
to comb the area using low altitude planes and the Sukhoi-30MKI equipped with thermal imaging systems. In addition, police personnel
from six districts were involved in the ground search. Andhra Pradesh's anti-Naxal forces were also deployed in the area, owing to their familiarity with the jungle terrain there. Local tribal residents from this part of the state assisted with the search mission. Patrol parties also combed the Krishna river
for the remains of the helicopter. ISRO's RISAT-2
satellite was also deployed to search the area, but the 41 high-resolution images of the area were unable to trace the helicopter.
The wreckage of the helicopter was finally spotted by an IAF Mi-8 helicopter at 0820h within less than 24 hours after contact was lost with the aircraft.
The Director General of Police said that the bodies of Reddy and others were charred beyond recognition and had to be identified on the basis of clothing. The autopsy of all the bodies was carried out at Kurnool Medical College.
The investigation eventually concluded that the factors that caused that crash included the fact that the crew became fixated for more than six minutes in trying to find out what was behind the problem with their transmission oil pressure system, and they became distracted from the worsening weather. They also noted that the flight crew was flying in Instrument Meteorological Conditions whereas the flight plan was cleared for VFR flying, and the flight crew never discussed the bad weather, diverting, or returning to base.
Kurnool
Kurnool is located at . It has an average elevation of 273 metres .Kurnool lies on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. The Handry and Neeva rivers also flow through the city. The K.C...
, Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The helicopter was a Bell 430
Bell 430
-External links:*...
helicopter owned by the Andhra Pradesh Government, and registered VT-APG. Fatalities included Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy
Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy
Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy , popularly known as YSR, was a two-time Chief Minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. He is seen as the most popular chief minister of Andhra pradesh. His popularity is often attributed to various welfare schemes and development programs he championed for the...
, the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
Accident
The Bell 430 helicopter took off from Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad, and soon encountered bad weather. The official accident report states that the aircraft's weather radar was red, meaning that the weather was extreme. The flight crew decided to fly slightly left of their planned route. The pilots soon noticed that the weather was getting worse, and agreed that they would turn left after crossing Krishna River. BegumpetBegumpet
Begumpet is a neighborhood in Hyderabad, India.-History:Begumpet is named after the daughter of the second Nizam, Basheer Ul-Unnisaa Begum , who received it as part of her wedding dowry was married to the second Amir of Paigah The Shums ul Umra Amir e Kabir 1...
and Shamshabad
Shamshabad
Shamshabad is a suburban village and a mandal headquarters, located on the outskirts of Hyderabad, India.There is a railway station at Shamshabad which is part of the South Central Railway, Indian Railways.-Geography:Shamsabad is located at...
Air Traffic controllers
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
lost contact with the aircraft at 9:02 am while it was passing through the dense Nallamala forest area.
However, shortly after 09:20 IST, the flight crew encountered a problem with the transmission oil pressure. The pilots became engaged in finding out emergency checklist procedures for the transmission oil pressure, but they were unable to locate them.
Soon after, the co-pilot continually called out "go around", likely indicating that he thought the aircraft would soon crash into something. During the last 14 seconds the rate of descent was extremely high. Thereafter helicopter crashed due to loss of control resulting in high rate of descent in down draught. The helicopter
impacted the ground in a steep left bank and all occupants on board died due to crash injuries.
Aftermath
The state government of Andhra Pradesh and the Government of IndiaGovernment of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
launched one of the largest search and rescue operations in the history of the country. The state's security officials mentioned that bad weather was hindering the search and rescue efforts. The Home Ministry of India dispatched 5000 CRPF
Central Reserve Police Force
The Central Reserve Police Force also known as CRPF is the largest of India's Central Armed Police Forces. It functions under the aegis of Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India. The CRPF's primary role lies in assisting the State/Union Territories in police operations to maintain...
soldiers for the operation while the Defence Ministry of India ordered the Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
to comb the area using low altitude planes and the Sukhoi-30MKI equipped with thermal imaging systems. In addition, police personnel
Indian Police Service
The Indian Police Service , simply known as Indian Police or IPS, is one of the three All India Services of the Government of India...
from six districts were involved in the ground search. Andhra Pradesh's anti-Naxal forces were also deployed in the area, owing to their familiarity with the jungle terrain there. Local tribal residents from this part of the state assisted with the search mission. Patrol parties also combed the Krishna river
Krishna River
The Krishna River , is one of the longest rivers in central-southern India, about . It is also referred to as Krishnaveni in its original nomenclature...
for the remains of the helicopter. ISRO's RISAT-2
RISAT-2
RISAT-2, or Radar Imaging Satellite 2 is an Indian radar reconnaissance satellite that is part of India's RISAT programme. It was successfully launched aboard a PSLV-CA at 01:15 GMT on April 20, 2009 from the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre...
satellite was also deployed to search the area, but the 41 high-resolution images of the area were unable to trace the helicopter.
The wreckage of the helicopter was finally spotted by an IAF Mi-8 helicopter at 0820h within less than 24 hours after contact was lost with the aircraft.
Death of Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy
The Indian Prime Minister's Office confirmed the helicopter's crash on the morning of 3 September and the death of all aboard, including that of Y. S. Rajasekhara ReddyY. S. Rajasekhara Reddy
Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy , popularly known as YSR, was a two-time Chief Minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. He is seen as the most popular chief minister of Andhra pradesh. His popularity is often attributed to various welfare schemes and development programs he championed for the...
The Director General of Police said that the bodies of Reddy and others were charred beyond recognition and had to be identified on the basis of clothing. The autopsy of all the bodies was carried out at Kurnool Medical College.
Investigation
Although the sparsely populated forest area is considered to be stronghold of the outlawed Naxal communist insurgents, the National Security Advisor of India ruled out the possibility of the Naxals bringing down the helicopter.The investigation eventually concluded that the factors that caused that crash included the fact that the crew became fixated for more than six minutes in trying to find out what was behind the problem with their transmission oil pressure system, and they became distracted from the worsening weather. They also noted that the flight crew was flying in Instrument Meteorological Conditions whereas the flight plan was cleared for VFR flying, and the flight crew never discussed the bad weather, diverting, or returning to base.