Dumka, Jharkhand:
Its path lit pitifully by the headlights of a jeep parked nearby, the plane took off at 6.15 pm from the Dumka Airport in Jharkhand. On board: BJP president Rajnath Singh.
That flight has landed Singh into a controversy over whether basic safety rules were violated. The pilot was flying under Visual Flying Rules or VFR, which means he was guided only by what he could see, and was not aided by any equipment. The rulebook is clear: VFR is not ok for take-off or landings after sunset.
An inquiry will determine who's to blame, says Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel. "It's too premature to say who is responsible, it's best to wait for results. I would also say that it's an advice to all VIPs, in case the pilot is not comfortable, VIPs should not do anything to put pressure on them." Patel quickly added, "I am not saying that there has been anything of this sort."
Rajnath Singh's party has defended him. "The pilot decided to fly after he took a clearance from Kolkata. At no point did Rajnath Singh force the pilot to fly,'' says Ravi Shankar Prasad, BJP Spokesperson.
In September, then Andhra chief minister YSR Reddy died after his helicopter crashed into a mountaintop in bad weather. At that time, politicians like Lalu Yadav admitted that pilots are often forced to meet political deadlines. Lalu said, "We are guilty of overruling pilots. They say, sir we can't fly, the weather is bad. I look up at the sky, see it's clear, and say, nothing doing, you have to fly."
That flight has landed Singh into a controversy over whether basic safety rules were violated. The pilot was flying under Visual Flying Rules or VFR, which means he was guided only by what he could see, and was not aided by any equipment. The rulebook is clear: VFR is not ok for take-off or landings after sunset.
An inquiry will determine who's to blame, says Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel. "It's too premature to say who is responsible, it's best to wait for results. I would also say that it's an advice to all VIPs, in case the pilot is not comfortable, VIPs should not do anything to put pressure on them." Patel quickly added, "I am not saying that there has been anything of this sort."
Rajnath Singh's party has defended him. "The pilot decided to fly after he took a clearance from Kolkata. At no point did Rajnath Singh force the pilot to fly,'' says Ravi Shankar Prasad, BJP Spokesperson.
In September, then Andhra chief minister YSR Reddy died after his helicopter crashed into a mountaintop in bad weather. At that time, politicians like Lalu Yadav admitted that pilots are often forced to meet political deadlines. Lalu said, "We are guilty of overruling pilots. They say, sir we can't fly, the weather is bad. I look up at the sky, see it's clear, and say, nothing doing, you have to fly."
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