CDS Bipin Rawat's chopper crashed due to the pilot's disorientation in bad weather - IAF

A tri-services Court of Inquiry (CoI) into the December 8 helicopter crash which killed Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat has attributed the crash to an unexpected change in weather, resulting in pilot disorientation and the helicopter hitting a surface.

This is the main preliminary finding of the Court of Inquiry (CoI) which ruled out mechanical failure, sabotage, and negligence. The Court of Inquiry (CoI) was instituted to probe the crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu that claimed the lives of General Rawat, the country’s first CDS, his wife Madhulika, and 12 armed forces personnel.

About the Crash

The Russian-origin helicopter, considered extremely safe and reliable, was fully serviceable when it crashed near Coonoor. The low-flying helicopter flew into cloud cover seconds before it went down in a fireball, barely seven minutes before it was scheduled to land in Wellington.

The helicopter took off from the Sulur airbase at 11:48 AM and was scheduled to land at the helipad at the Wellington golf course at 12:15 PM. The air traffic control at Sulur, however, lost contact with the helicopter at 12:08 PM, 20 minutes after it took off. The helicopter was descending to land when it ran into sudden clouds which resulted in pilot disorientation.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paying tribute to Late CDS Bipin Rawat

The Mi-17 V5 was carrying General Rawat, his wife Madhulika, and 12 other armed forces personnel including Brigadier LS Lidder and Lt Col Harjinder Singh, Wing Commander Prithvi Singh Chauhan, Squadron Leader Kuldeep Singh. While 13 of the 14 onboard died in the crash, Group Captain Varun Singh succumbed to injuries a week later.

FDR, CVR Input Analysed

The IAF in its statement said based on its findings, the COI has made certain recommendations that are being reviewed. It said that the inquiry team analyzed input from the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder, which are collectively colloquially known as the black box of an aircraft, besides questioning all available witnesses to determine the most probable cause of the accident.

“The inquiry team analysed the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder besides questioning all available witnesses to determine the most probable cause of the accident."Spokesperson, Indian Air Force

On January 5, IAF head Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari, along with Air Marshal Manvendra Singh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Training Command, who headed the tri-service inquiry into the crash that took place in the forest near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu briefed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the probe. The helicopter was being flown by Wing Commander Prithvi Singh Chauhan and Squadron Leader Kuldeep Singh.

The sole survivor of the crash, Group Captain Varun Singh, breathed his last on December 15 after putting up a week-long fight against death.

Developed by Russian Helicopters, the Mi-17V5 is designed to carry personnel, cargo and equipment. The Mi-17V5 can carry a load of around four tonnes in a full cargo role. It can also insert assault forces behind the enemy lines, a role frequently demonstrated by the IAF during military exercises.

The helicopter is equipped with modern avionics, a self-defence system and other advanced features that enhance its survivability. The Mi-17V5, which has an armoured cockpit, can be fitted with rockets, cannons and small arms for carrying out offensive roles. It has a service ceiling of 6,000 metres, a top speed of 250 kmph and a maximum range of around 1,180 km with additional fuel tanks.

The Indian Coast Guard has been on the lookout for about 14 new helicopters for surveillance tasks as well as several offshore security-related activities for quite some time now.

The bidding which began last year saw Airbus offering its H22M chopper while  Russia pitched the Kamov KA 32A11M.

The Coast Guard's last such attempt was in 2018 that failed to materialize after the contest was withdrawn amid allegations of leak of confidential documents.

Reportedly, Russia has backed off from the $1 billion competition to deliver twin-engine helicopters to the Indian Coast Guard, leaving Airbus as the sole contender for the contract.

Apparently, the US hesitation in the bidding process, despite the Sikorsky S92 fulfilling all the requirements put forward by the ICG has taken many by surprise. Interestingly, the Russians too, haven't provided an official explanation for the withdrawal.

ALH "Dhruv" Mk-III | Vertical Magazine

The Indian Coast Guard had received 3 Advanced Light Helicopters ALH Mk-III last year, which was manufactured by the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Tech and Specs

The Airbus H225M 

EDR Magazine

The 11-tonne-category, twin-turbine H225M is relied upon as a force multiplier by many air forces worldwide thanks to its outstanding endurance and fast cruise speed.

Seating (troops + crew)31Max takeoff weight (MTOW)11,000 kgEngine type2 x Safran Helicopter Makila 2A1Max* range with standard fuel tanks at Vreco920 kmRotor diameter16.20 mOne engine inoperative (OEI 30s)1,784 kW

With air-to-air or hover in-flight refuelling options, the helicopter’s impressive 700-mile range can be increased. The H225M’s five-blade rotor, powered by two Makila 2A1 engines, delivers unusually low vibration, and the modular Spheriflex design of the rotor’s mechanical assembly allows for minimal maintenance.

Russian Kamov Ka-32A11M

Reporter

The all-weather multipurpose civil Ka-32 with coaxial rotors and an MTOW of 11 tons, was developed by the Kamov Design Bureau of “Russian Helicopters” JSC. It has Russian and EASA Type certificates. Currently, over 240 Ka-32s have been built, which are in operation in more than 30 countries all over the world. The coaxial rotors give the helicopter a range of important stabilization and maneuverability advantages, which is especially important for firefighting missions. There are more than 100 configuration options for the Ka-32 series.ASIANSKYMEDIA

The Ka-32A11M is an upgraded version of the Ka-32A11BC helicopter and features:

Max. load-carrying capacity on external sling increased to 5,300 kgIncreased flight safety at 2.5-min OEI rating (2400 hp - 2700 hp)Substitution of imported components. Glass “cockpit” adapted to the use of NVGNew fire-fighting system SP-32 with expanded tank capacity to 4,000 liters. Compared to its overseas competitors, the new Russian made SP-32 water tank has a more attractive price and can carry up to four tons of water

SOURCE(S)

COVER: DNA India

In July 2021, the Indian government had proposed an air bubble to the South Korean government and the Centre has been waiting for its response, which was confirmed by Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Scheduled international passenger flights have been suspended in India since March 23, 2020, because of the Covid pandemic. However, special flights have been operating between India and around 40 countries since July 2020 based on air bubble arrangements formed with them.

The response is awaited for the proposed air bubble agreement sent to South Korea

Reason behind the sudden mention

This response of the Aviation Minister came up after a tweet made by Congress Lok Sabha member from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor. In the tweet, he was talking about the 8000 Indians living in South Korea who are protesting the absence of an air bubble between India and South Korea.

He also mentioned that since March 2020 India has suspended direct flights to and from South Korea, doubling travel costs for NRIs there, and was not clear why since COVID-19 is well controlled there.

https://twitter.com/ShashiTharoor/status/1481941852563853312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1481941852563853312%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatoday.in%2Findia%2Fstory%2Findia-proposed-air-bubble-south-korea-july-waiting-aviation-minister-scindia-1900271-2022-01-14

In response, Scindia said on Twitter that an air bubble was proposed to the government of South Korea in July 2021 and the response is still awaited.

He further mentions that the Indian government is actively watching, engaging with countries, and calibrating its approach by the global Covid-19 situation and Needless to say, safety is our top priority.

https://twitter.com/JM_Scindia/status/1482002330665222156

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on January 13 has also held a meeting with the chiefs of Indian carriers on various issues, including increasing the number of wide-body planes and resolving regulatory concerns. Wide-body planes like A350 have bigger fuel tanks, larger seating capacity and they can travel to longer distances as compared to narrow-body aircraft like A320. There are a lot of matters been looked after amid the spread of Omicron, COVID-19 latest variant. From Domestic Air traffic management to the new launch of airlines Indian Aviation Industry is riding on a rollercoaster ride.

ALSO READ - Aviation Minister in talks with airline executives about the expansion of wide-body aircraft

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday, January 13 held a meeting with the chiefs of Indian carriers on various issues, including increasing the number of wide-body planes and resolving regulatory concerns.

Scindia said on Twitter, "Held a detailed discussion with the airlines advisory group on issues ranging from increasing wide-body aircraft fleet and making India an international hub to aircraft leasing, alongside regulatory issues.

https://twitter.com/JM_Scindia/status/1481524008944549891

"We're committed towards nursing the sector back to health and re-injecting growth," he added.

IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta, SpiceJet CMD Ajay Singh and chiefs of other airlines were present in the virtual meeting with Scindia.

Wide-body planes like A350 have bigger fuel tanks, larger seating capacity and they can travel to longer distances as compared to narrow-body aircraft like A320.

Although wide-body aircraft have larger frontal areas than narrow-body aircraft of similar capacity, they have several advantages over their narrow-body counterparts, such as -

Wide-body planes like A350 have bigger fuel tanks, larger seating capacities.

A larger cabin space for passengers, giving a more open feeling.A lower ratio of surface area to volume, and thus lower drag per passenger or cargo volume. The only exception to this would be with very long narrow-body aircraft, such as the Boeing 757 and Airbus A321.Twin aisles that accelerate loading, unloading, and evacuation compared to a single aisle (wide-body airliners typically have 3.5 to 5 seats abreast per aisle, compared to 5–6 on most narrow-body aircraft).Reduced overall aircraft length for a given capacity, improving ground manoeuvrability and reducing the risk of tail strikes.Greater under-floor freight capacityBetter structural efficiency for larger aircraft than would be possible with a narrow-body design.

There are only two Indian carriers operating widebodies currently - Air India and Vistara. The former currently operates a fleet of Boeing 787-8s and 777s, while the latter flies the 787-9s.

Air India B777

Both airlines have relatively young fleets too, with Vistara’s first Dreamliner only joining the fleet one year ago. Air India’s 787s average 6.7 years and 777s average 11.4 years in age, according to Planespotters.net.

However, as traffic in the Indian market continues to grow, both these airlines could consider the A350. For instance, Air India is set to become privatized this year and the new owners will likely start planning a fleet modernization for the next decade.

Domestic passenger traffic in India dropped 37% since January 1, with less than two lakh people flying daily, which set the traffic back to the volumes handled in July 2021. In addition to this, an estimated 30% drop in air passengers is expected in the final quarter of this fiscal, according to aviation observers.

On January 11, the daily traffic dipped to 1.8 lakh, shows Ministry of Civil Aviation data. It’s a huge drop when compared to the traffic seen in the past two months. From November 6, 2021, to January 3, over 3 lakh domestic passengers boarded flights every single day.

Domestic Air Traffic drops by 37% (Picture Credit: iStock)

About 191,895 passengers took domestic flights on January 12, 2022, showed data from the aviation ministry. However, this number is far below the 367,000 recorded in the week ending December 2021. This comes after India had reported positive growth in November. Positive pandemic developments along with the holiday season and lesser Covid restrictions pushed India’s November 2021 domestic air passenger traffic higher on a year-on-year basis.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), India’s domestic air passenger volume on a year-on-year basis measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) was one of the highest amongst major aviation markets such as Australia, Brazil, China, Japan, Russia, and the US. The country’s domestic available passenger capacity measured in available seat kilometers (ASK) was up 49% on a year-on-year basis.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation on October 12, 2021, allowed airlines to operate 100% of their scheduled capacity from October 18 onwards, removing a key restriction imposed when domestic flight operations resumed in May 2020 after a two-month lockdown. On October 10, domestic passenger numbers clocked at 3.04 lakh, crossing the 3 lakh per day mark for the first time since February 28, 2021, when 3.14 lakh passengers had traveled on domestic flights.

CrisilRatings Limited said in a recent statement that India's third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, following the spread of highly virulent Omicron variant, could lead to fresh turbulence for air traffic, delaying the domestic aviation industry's recovery to FY24 from FY23.

"The high infection rate of Omicron has resulted in several state governments and local authorities, such as Delhi and Mumbai, announcing restrictions on movement. In fact, domestic traffic is down by 25% from the highs of December 2021 in the first week of January 2022 itself".Manish Gupta, Senior Director, CRISIL Ratings

Airlines have reduced the number of flights over the past few days due to declining traffic in the wake of the fresh wave of infections. If cases surge further, the traffic slump can worsen. Travel restrictions imposed by state governments have also added to the decline.

Air transport is an important marker of modern society and plays an integral role in the development of the economy. Ever since its advent in India in December 1912, the sector has grown in leaps and bounds.

The New Indian Express

The civil aviation industry in India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing industries in the country during the last three years. India has become the third-largest domestic aviation market in the world and is expected to overtake the UK to become the third-largest air passenger market by 2024.

However, with the phenomenal growth of the sector, its environmental impact has also intensified simultaneously-something which cannot be neglected. Carbon emissions from Indian airlines have increased by 64% in 2019 since 2012 and although it only constitutes about 1% of India’s emissions today, we must draw a blueprint to decarbonize the aviation sector and achieve a balance between economic growth and environmental degradation.

It has been said that one person flying in an airplane for one hour is responsible for the same GHG emissions as a typical Bangladeshi leading his life through a whole year.Source

How can airlines and airports in India do their part towards achieving aviation's sustainability goals?

airlines.org

When it comes to airlines, there's much that can be done to alleviate global emissions, some of which include:

Fleet renewal: Ever since the pandemic hit, focus has been on to renew existing fleet with newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft models than buying new ones. Almost 50% of India’s in-service fleet is A320neo and are 15%-20% more fuel efficient than the previous generation. Additionally, Indian operators now have an order book for over 850 A320neo and 737MAX aircraft.

IndiaTV News

Evolving propulsion systems : The race is always on to develop more efficient electric, hydrogen or a hybrid of both, propulsion systems. These systems are touted to slash carbon emissions by huge margins. Aerospace behemoths like Airbus and Boeing have joined the race to develop hydrogen powered aircraft with the former planning to launch "the ZEROe project" as early as 2035 .

Airbus ZEROe project | Fortune

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF): Touted to reduce carbon emissions by well over 90%, SAF has been used to power aircrafts since 2011. Although only a handful of flights have been completed in India, the country is well poised to develop a SAF industry, given the wide availability of feedstocks and low cost of renewable energy. IndiGo signed an agreement to investigate the possibility of using sustainable fuel in planes in July 2021.

Aviation International News

Optimizing existing infrastructure: Airports and Air Service Providers in the country can optimize the existing  runways and airspace, adopting fuel and weight saving measures. Delhi Airport features Fixed Electric Ground Power (FEGP) at all its stands in Terminal 3. FEGP can reduce airline emissions by up to 40% and also reduces noise on the apron. The Cochin International Airport in Kerala has set an example for the rest of the world by becoming the first ever fully solar powered airport with an inauguration dedicated solar plant. The airport has reduced the carbon footprint by over 3 lakh metric tonnes, which is equivalent to planting 3 million trees.

2.67 MW Solar Plant – Carport, Cochin International Airport Ltd | Tata Power Solar

Airports contribute a small proportion of aviation’s share of emissions but play an important role in sustainable growth

Airports and aerodromes, although not directly involved, make a key impact on overall emissions as they are the facilitator of passenger movements.

The largest share of an airport’s carbon footprint is from indirect emissions, namely- aircraft emissions, passenger and staff travel to the airport, and third-party operational vehicles. Over 80% of airport journeys in India are made by private cars or taxis. Ideally, airports have a lot of scopes to engage with the concerned government and department to optimise and improve public transportation, which will go a long way in offsetting carbon emissions.

Furthermore, environmental charges can be levied on airports to promote the use of quieter and newer aircraft by airlines, as is the case in some airports in Europe.

Airports Council International (ACI)

Airports Council International (ACI) launched the Airport Carbon Accreditation program in 2009 to provide airports with a common framework to manage and reduce their CO2 emissions.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata; Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar; Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi and Trivandrum International Airport have met all the requirements to upgrade to Level 2: “REDUCTION” by constituting Carbon Management Plan and reducing the carbon emissions at airports as per the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) Programme- Airports Council International (ACI).

Biju Patnaik International Airport gets Best Airport Award from Airport Council International (ACI) | Odisha News | Odisha Breaking News

The GMR consortium-AAI run Delhi Airport has become the first carbon-neutral airport in Asia-Pacific, to be accredited by the ACI on September 28, 2016.

Indira Gandhi International Airport | Down To Earth

In conclusion, aviation still has a long way to go before the intended climate goals are met.

SOURCE(s)

COVER: Inside Climate News