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Kathmandu Saturday January 26, 2002 Magh 13, 2058.
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Engine failure led to chopper
mishap: Report
Post Report
KATHMANDU, Jan 25: The cause of the helicopter
accident at Mimi of Humla district in September was the right engine failure at short
final, the government report said Thursday.
All persons including one passenger were rescued
safely though the helicopter was badly damaged in the accident that took place at Mimi
helipad of Ward No. 8 of Mimi VDC, Humla district, while the crew were conducting their
cargo charter flight for Humla Conservation and Development Association.
The report on the accident of the helicopter
9N-ADK, owned and operated by Air Ananya Pvt Ltd, was made public by Minister for Culture,
Tourism and Civil Aviation Bal Bahadur KC.
"The probable cause of the accident of
9N-ADK was due to the right engine failure at short final. As a result, there was a sudden
decrease in performance of the helicopter and eventually it crash-landed at the
helipad," the report states.
Briefing on the report of the accident, the
five-member probe committee said the helicopter made an approach to the helipad and struck
with its left wheel on the helipad edge and ultimately toppled down and crashed.
"The wreckage and the evidence at the crash
site indicate that left under carriage of the helicopter made the initial impact at the
forward edge of the helipad.
The report pointed out the poor standard of
maintenance and inability on the part of the pilot. Ratish Suman, a probe committee member
said there was a crack on the radar dome of the helicopter and also a damage on the
compression blade and the tail rotor.
He said the helipad was big enough for landing
and it had room sufficient for another helicopter to land on the same area.
However, sources of the Ministry said that the
real cause behind the accident was illegal extension of the flight hours of helicopters.
"The helicopter entered Nepal through Nepal
Airways for 1,000 hours flight and it was grounded at the airport for years, along with
other two Russian-made MI-17. But the helicopter came into Air Ananya’s possession
and the operation hours extended without proper maintenance of the helicopter resulting in
the accident," the source said.
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