CHENNAI: "Victor Tango Alpha Pappa Golf calling Chennai radio. We are from Hyderabad heading for Chittoor. Departed Begumpet at. We are climbing 550 (5,500 ft). Expected time of arrival at Chittoor."

"Roger."

That was the last radio communication between the pilot of the fateful helicopter carrying Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajashekhar Reddy and the Flight Information Region (FIR) in Chennai. That was around 9.10 am. After a few minutes, the pilot radioed the Hyderabad control that he would be in contact with Chennai, following which Hyderabad handed over the control to the Chennai FIR.

"We haven't heard anything from the chopper after that," an air traffic official privy to the last communication told TOI, explaining the fire-fighting that followed. According to protocol, if no communication is received from an aircraft 30 minutes after its control is handed over to an FIR, the centre goes about plotting three phases: Uncertainty phase, alert phase and distress phase, each at an interval of 30 minutes.

Hearing nothing from the chopper, which was to communicate using a high frequency radio (HF), Chennai FIR kept switching between two HF radios, 6655 KHz and 8909 KHz. "Chennai radio calling Victor Tango Alpha Pappa Golf. Are you reading?" No reply. FIR then tuned into the very high frequency (VHF) band of 123.4 MHz, usually used for communication between pilots.

"We wanted to see if the pilot lost our frequency and was trying some other pilot. When there was still no reply, we tried the universal emergency frequency 121.5 MHz, to which any pilot in an emergency situation is expected to tune in. That too drew a blank," the source said.

FIR then initiated the 'uncertainty phase' and sent out signals to all air traffic control stations and airports in the vicinity such as Tirupati, Mangalore, Visakhapatnam, Bangalore and Hyderabad about the missing chopper.

The 'alert phase' started around 10.40 am and all the stations were called up to inquire about any signals they received. The air traffic management and Airports Authority of India top brass were then informed before going into the 'distress phase'. Subsequently, the regional coordination centre attached to the FIR took over the case. 

Be first to comment this article | Add as favourites (12) | Quote this article on your site | Views: 106

HYDERABAD | NEW DELHI: The airworthiness of the missing Bell 430 helicopter in which YS Rajasekhara Reddy was flying has come under lens amid

Be first to comment this article | Add as favourites (9) | Quote this article on your site | Views: 139

HYDERABAD: The Bell-430 helicopter, which Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy took to fly to Chittoor district on Wednesday, was virtually dusted off from a hangar at the Begumpet airport here.

It was exactly one year ago that the State government acquired a brand new AgustaWestland AW-139 helicopter from the company’s main facility in Italy for Rs. 58 crore. But, Dr. Reddy had no option other than using the Bell-430 as the AgustaWestland helicopter was recently sent for overhaul after having been in operation for one full year.

The Bell-430, purchased from the U.S. for Rs. 26 crore, was found inadequate as it lacked night-landing facility and often required repairs and overhaul. On Wednesday, it was flown by a new pilot in place of the Chief Minister’s regular pilot who was drawn from the Indian Air Force.

The Bell helicopter was transferred to the A.P. Aviation Corporation, constituted recently to undertake commercial operations of helicopters, and ever since it had been confined to the hangar.

The AgustaWestland was brought to New Delhi first by a Russian aircraft in August last year and flown to Hyderabad on September 15 after trials.

A team headed by Finance Minister K. Rosaiah, which was monitoring the search of the missing Bell-430 and rescue operations, said AgustaWestland was a sturdy aircraft as it had two engines.

Be first to comment this article | Add as favourites (10) | Quote this article on your site | Views: 84

HYDERABAD/VIZAG: Has it got anything to do with bad muhurtham? Astrologers believe that Y S Rajasekhara Reddy is facing many hurdles in his second term as CM since his swearing-in was conducted at an inauspicious time.

"If one wishes to take up a particular work, one selects a perfect muhurtham. But the 'muhurtham' in which YSR took the oath was not favourable to him. It was fixed after the sunset at 6.32 pm," astrologer Nittala Kameswara Bapurao said.

"In Jyotish Shastra, sun is the single most significant factor for administration, ruling and holding power. But his managers simply neglected the importance of sun and fixed the muhurtham in a weak lagnam — Scorpio," he added. When he began his first term in 2004, YSR had taken the oath in the morning.

Rao said he and Swamy Swaroopa Nandendra had suggested a muhurtham after 12 noon. "That is a Leo lagna, which is a strong lagna for administration. But they changed their mind and fixed it after sunset on public demand," he said. Sources said the CM's campaign managers and political leaders had said they couldn't bring the huge crowd in the morning or afternoon and hence insisted for an evening function.

Another astrologer, requesting anonymity, said there are different planets for different occasions. Pandits fix the marriage muhurtam in strong period of Venus because Venus is the significant contributor for marriages. "Likewise, Jupiter is strong for education. That's why upanayana muhurtham is fixed in Jupiter period and Mars for wars," he elaborated.

The astrologers also said because of the planetary movements, YSR's problems in the second term have been surmounted. 

Be first to comment this article | Add as favourites (10) | Quote this article on your site | Views: 103