09-09-2009, 01:21 AM
<b>YSR death: ATC Chennai did not respond to pilots in despair</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The pilots of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's [ Images ] ill-fated Bell 430 helicopter had tried to contact the Air Traffic Control, Chennai, at least twice and had desperately called for guidance,as they had lost their route.
The revelations can put the ATC Chennai in the dock for negligence leading to the fatal crash.
......
The CVR and the flight data recorder were recovered from the crash site atop the Pavuralagutta hillock, about 70 km away from Kurnool.
The probe team, headed by the director general of civil aviation, has sent the CVR to New Delhi [ Images ] for analysis.
<b>Sources said that the pilot had been calling for help in Hindi, however there was no response from ATC Chennai. </b>
.........
They added that YSSR's wristwatch, which was found at the crash site, had stopped exactly at 9.30 am suggesting the exact time the crash might have taken place.
What has puzzled experts is that the communication between the cockpit and the ATC had snapped much before the helicopter had crashed. The DGCA team will investigate to find if there had been a technical failure that led to the break in communication
....
Meanwhile, preliminary investigations by the crime branch of Andhra Pradesh, the criminal investigation department and<b> forensic experts has revealed that the ill-fated helicopter had dragged on the ground for a distance of 120 m before it hit a tree and exploded into a ball of fire.</b> Investigators have reached this conclusion on the basis of the marks found on the ground, the damaged shrubs and trees, and pieces of helicopter strewn around.
<b>The helicopter, which had fuel sufficient to run for two hours at the time of the crash</b>, had exploded with such intensity that the body parts of the five inhabitants were thrown afar.
The AP investigating team has also said that during the crashlanding, the flying pieces of the chopper had cut through the passengers' bodies, which had later got burnt in the explosion.
<b>No explosives found</b>
Experts also said they did not find any evidence of explosives in the blast and that the helicopter was destroyed as a result of the crash.
.....
<b>Mobile phone found dead</b>
Investigators have also found three mobile phones believed to be of YSR, his principal secretary P Subhramanyam and chief security officer Wesley. The phones of the two pilots were found shattered. Though the recovered mobiles were dead, experts hope to get some information by accessing their memory card.
The team is also likely to question the staff of ATC Hyderabad and ATC Chennai, as well as the ground staff responsible for maintenance of the helicopter at Begumpet airport. The state government will also take the help of CBI as it involves cross-state investigations.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Sounds like sabtoage.
The revelations can put the ATC Chennai in the dock for negligence leading to the fatal crash.
......
The CVR and the flight data recorder were recovered from the crash site atop the Pavuralagutta hillock, about 70 km away from Kurnool.
The probe team, headed by the director general of civil aviation, has sent the CVR to New Delhi [ Images ] for analysis.
<b>Sources said that the pilot had been calling for help in Hindi, however there was no response from ATC Chennai. </b>
.........
They added that YSSR's wristwatch, which was found at the crash site, had stopped exactly at 9.30 am suggesting the exact time the crash might have taken place.
What has puzzled experts is that the communication between the cockpit and the ATC had snapped much before the helicopter had crashed. The DGCA team will investigate to find if there had been a technical failure that led to the break in communication
....
Meanwhile, preliminary investigations by the crime branch of Andhra Pradesh, the criminal investigation department and<b> forensic experts has revealed that the ill-fated helicopter had dragged on the ground for a distance of 120 m before it hit a tree and exploded into a ball of fire.</b> Investigators have reached this conclusion on the basis of the marks found on the ground, the damaged shrubs and trees, and pieces of helicopter strewn around.
<b>The helicopter, which had fuel sufficient to run for two hours at the time of the crash</b>, had exploded with such intensity that the body parts of the five inhabitants were thrown afar.
The AP investigating team has also said that during the crashlanding, the flying pieces of the chopper had cut through the passengers' bodies, which had later got burnt in the explosion.
<b>No explosives found</b>
Experts also said they did not find any evidence of explosives in the blast and that the helicopter was destroyed as a result of the crash.
.....
<b>Mobile phone found dead</b>
Investigators have also found three mobile phones believed to be of YSR, his principal secretary P Subhramanyam and chief security officer Wesley. The phones of the two pilots were found shattered. Though the recovered mobiles were dead, experts hope to get some information by accessing their memory card.
The team is also likely to question the staff of ATC Hyderabad and ATC Chennai, as well as the ground staff responsible for maintenance of the helicopter at Begumpet airport. The state government will also take the help of CBI as it involves cross-state investigations.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Sounds like sabtoage.