AVM K.Sridharan VM(G)(Retd)Gp Capt. MK LabrooAir Cmde Ravi Krishan VMNitya Venkataraman

Nitya VenkataramanShyby Jayakumar

January 2016 Volume 8, Release 33

Safety Conundrums in Heli-Ops (Offshore)

Recently, RWSI Safety Team conducted Safety Orientation Workshops related to Helicopter Ops (Offshore) for the ONGC personnel deployed in the Offshore Rigs in Bombay High. The Workshops were a positive step taken by the ONGC Management in reassuring ONGC personnel deployed in the Offshore Installations that helicopters are safe to travel. Recent spate of four

major civil helicopter accidents in India during 04 Aug 15 to 25 Nov 15(of which three of them were fatal) had shaken up the confidence of its frequent users. ONGC which uses helicopters to transfer around 12000 to 12500 of its workforce every month to and from offshore installations in an open sea environment was affected especially when on 04 Nov15, a Dauphin 365N3 Helicopter operated by very experienced pilots crashed into the sea near an ONGC platform off the coast of Mumbai killing its occupants.During the week long Safety Orientation Workshops conducted by Team RWSI, numerous queries were raised by users on the subject of safety during their travel by helicopters to various offshore installations. Our Team got to allay their concerns by explaining various safe guards built into the system to prevent accidents. They were also told that as some safety issues being dynamic in nature are required to be addressed collectively on a day to day basis by Operators & Users. Some of the safety concerns raised and responses provided are outlined in the

succeeding paragraphs.Q 1. If the competency of the pilots deployed, their back ground, training and the level of maturity are as per Regulatory requirements, why are there accidents? - Periodic safety audits are carried out by the Regulator to ensure that the Operators comply with competency and currency of the pilots. Besides, ONGC has also ensured the Operators comply with Aviation Standard 4 which the requirement of helicopter crew, floatation system, pop out windows, emergency exit lighting, public address system, passenger headsets, upper torso restraint, health and usage monitoring system, Radar altimeter, life jackets with personal locator beckons (PLBs) and rebreathers. Introduction of these standards have led to a significant increase in the confidence of passengers travelling offshore. Despite these measures, accident has taken place. If further oversight is required, the users have an option to get periodic safety audit done by a Third Party.Q 2. Is the FDTL strictly followed? - FDTL records are maintained by the Operators and Compliance to FDTL is also verified by the Regulator during their audit.Q 3 .Why did not the floats inflate in the ill-fated accident of a Dauphin 365N3 Helicopter on 04 Nov15 when it crashed into the sea near an ONGC platform? - The reason would be known after the Accident Investigation made its findings public, Pending the release of the Investigation Report by MOCA, it is believed that the situation under which crash took place did not give the pilots time to arm the floats. (As per SOP, they are to arm the floats while landing and takeoff is being carried out, they did not arm the floats in this flight - of course subject to C of I Report)Q 4. Why did not the ELT work? - Again the reason will be known after the Accident Investigation makes the findings public. However, it was mentioned that the ELT performance were affected by ;(a)not selecting the ELT activation to armed before flight,(b)incorrect installation,(c)flat batteries,(d)lack of water proofing,(e)lack of fire protection,(f)disconnection of the co-axial antenna cable from the unit during impact damage and/or removal of the antenna during impact and an aircraft coming to rest inverted after impact.Q 5.When GPS and Wx radar are available, why can’t helicopters operate during bad visibility? - The user must understand that all flying in offshore are under taken under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) when Visual Meteorological conditions prevail.On use of Lifesaving Equipment, it was learnt that majority of users had not seen the practical deployment of life jacket and raft. Users were not sure if floatation devices were checked for 'reliability'. To instill confidence to the users of this equipment, periodic demonstration of the equipment’s may be necessary. It was also learnt that some of the Mae West fastening plastic buckles/ fasteners in usage in Dauphin N3 were in bad shape and did not lock. These might require replacement. Locking/ Unlocking of the Sliding Door. Many personnel who regularly operated from unmanned platforms are not fully conversant with the operation locking/ unlocking of the sliding door. Pre Boarding Discipline. Consensus view was that it should be better managed by HLO.Routinely, Health Safety Environment (HSE) Aviation advisors of individual Oil and Gas companies put in place safety considerations and minimum safety standards as applicable to their respective operations. Time has come now for Exploration & Production companies (including ONGC, Reliance, British Gas etc.) to set and demand safety standards for offshore helicopter operations on the basis of OGP Aircraft Management Guidelines to resolve the Safety Conundrums prevailing in Heli- Ops (Offshore) today.In fact, the Standards set up by Aircraft Management Guidelines by the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (OGP) are above the minimum requirements laid down by DGCA to conduct commercial air transport Operations and are based on OGP's access to a wealth of technical knowledge and experience with its members operating around the world in many different terrains. Using these guidelines will certainly help ONGC.

Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) K.Sridharan VM (Gallantry)Editor-in-Chief

Rotary Wing Society of India#609, 6th Floor, Ithum Tower, Plot No. A-40, Sector-62, NOIDA, (UP) 201 309Tele: 0120-2402010, 2402060Email: office@rwsi.org

2

Civil

Heli- tourism in Goa and Mumbai

On January 07, 2016 the Maharashtra Government along with Pawan Hans launched its first heli – t o u r i s m i n i t i a t i v e – Mumbai Darshan - a joyride in a chopper, to a full house. The Bell 206 LR helicopter took off from the Juhu airport, and took

a slow curve on the coastline towards the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. In 60 minutes, 25 people were given six 10-minute rides over Mumbai on the inaugural day.The chopper flight services are open from 10 am to 4 pm daily at a fee of Rs3,200 per person for a 10-minute flight.Tourists visiting Goa can now have an aerial view of the states' pristine beaches and forts with the introduction of helicopter tourism service from the month of February. In Goa, the helicopter rides will connect the hinterlands, coastal areas and other prominent tourist spots giving visitors a breathtaking and picturesque glimpses of the state from atop. The company intends to fly atop Fort Aguada, Miramar Beach, Dona Paula, Candolim beach, Calangute beach, Anjuna beach. The visitors will also get an aerial view of Mandovi River, Panaji City, Panaji church and Old Goa Church.

Team RWSI conducted Safety Workshop for ONGC Executives on 18 Jan 16 at Heli Base Juhu The workshop was well attended by Senior Executives of ONGC involved in the Air Logistics. It included Mr. VK Thakral ED SHSE, Sri Rajkumar GGM , Sri KR Ramesh GGM, Sri RK Mishra GGM & Head Air Logistics , Mr. Rao President ASTO, Mr. Pradeep Maykar General Secratary Karamchari Sangathan and Mr. Khot President SC/ST and Gp Capt. SS Prasad . Team RWSI included AVM (Retd.) KSridharan President RWSI , Capt. Uday Gelli President RWSI (WR) , Wg Cdr Ramesh Mallik (Retd.) ,Wg Cdr V Mathur (Retd.) ,Capt SS Krishnamurthy and Capt Sanjay Mittal Secy RWSI (WR), RWSI . A brochure & Hand Book on Safety for Offshore work force published by RWSI were released at the event. The welcome address was delivered by Capt Uday Gelli President RWSI (WR) .After outlining the object of the workshop, he emphasized that helicopters are quite reliable even though transfer of the workforce to and from offshore installations in an open sea environment is both challenging and hazardous. Emergencies do occur, whether a result of mechanical failure or pilot error, and should be anticipated .The safety of those who rely on offshore helicopter flights is thus an absolute priority and regular efforts are taken by all stake holders to ensure safe travel.He admitted that Civil Helicopter Accidents in the Country (including the Accident to PHL's Dauphin365N3 near Offshore Rig 'WIS' in Bombay high) had adversely impacted the confidence of personnel/agencies using the helicopter. He again emphasized that the workshop was aimed at confidence building measures in the safety of the helicopters during offshore operations. He sought the users to interact and exchange of information related to Safety of Helicopter Ops. He complimented ONGC for their effort in enhancing safety in every area of its operation. He said Offshore Logistics have framed sound aviation policy and used Aviation Standard 4 (AS4) compliant helicopters for crew change. Subsequely, AVM (Retd.) KSridharan President RWSI in his presentation on the Safety Performance of Helicopters in offshore in India during the last two decades outlined the following ;(a)Total Accidents: 7 ( 3 Fatal) (Lives Lost -33) in 19 Year Period,(b)Causative Factors: All 7 Accidents were Human Error . Pilot Error caused 5 Accidents ( 2 Loss of Visual Reference at Night ) & Maintenance Error caused 2 accidents, (c)Helicopter Types involved in the Accidents: 3 Dauphin 365N, 2 Bell 412 , 1 AS355 & 1 MI 172,(d)No. of accidents/Number of Flight Hours =7/475000hrs=1 .473 per 100000hrs,(e) No. of people with fatal injuries/ No. of people onboard all accidents= 33/49=0.673 and (f) Individual's risk of a fatal injury is 0.9.91 per 100,000 occupant hours of exposure. He proposed that as major user of helicopters in the Country, ONGC should insist on Implementation of Safety Management System by their Heli Service providers and also involve third party to Audit their compliance. He also sought them to provide incentives to the Operators to opt for enhanced Role Training and introduce safety systems (including Equipment & Information) for enhancing safety. The workshop also included presentations by

Capt Sanjay Mittal on Case Studies of Offshore Accidents & Mitigation Strategies, International Best Practices in Offshore Ops by Wg Cdr Ramesh Mallik and Op & Infrastructure issues impacting Safety by Wg Cdr V Mathur (R), CGI RWSI, Emergency Response Procedure by Wg Cdr Krishnamurthy Sundaram, Member RWSI. Capt Sanjay Mittal who gave the vote of Thanks on behalf of RWSI greatly appreciated the initiative taken by ONGC in holding the Safety Workshop. Please see page 4 for news on Safety workshops at Offshore Installations. Please see page 4 for news on RWSI Safety workshops at Offshore Installations.

ONGC Takes Initiative to Hold Safety Workshop on Heli Ops (Offshore) for its Personnel

3

Military

Rw 09 Santacruz

Kamov-226T - ‘Make in India’ deal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow last month yielded in an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) on supplying 200 Kamov-226T light helicopter to India's military. Under the terms of the agreement, a Russian-India joint venture will be created involving Rostec-JSC Rosoboronexport, Russian Helicopters and India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). As per the deal the first 60 Ka-226Ts are to be built at

Russian Helicopters' Kumertau Aviation Production Enterprise facility in Russia in flyaway condition, while the remaining 140 Kamov-226Ts will be shipped as kits to India, where they would be assembled by HAL. The deal provides for maintenance, operation and repair of the helicopters, along with technical support.Sharing details of a new Indo-Russian joint venture company to produce KA 226 helicopters, officials in the Indian Defense Ministry have also mentioned that one or two partners from the private sector would be considered for the project but would be chosen by the government on technical and financial parameters. “The agreement on manufacturing the Kamov 226T helicopter is the first big project under the 'Make in India' initiative,” noted Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a joint press conference in December 2015 with President Vladimir Putin. The agreement stipulates a nine-year time frame for the delivery of the first 200 helicopters, with an option for an additional 200 aircraft.

Two Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter pilots have been awarded the prestigious Vayu Sena Medal, Gallantry, as India celebrates 67th Republic Day. The recipients, Wing Commander Nirmal Kumar Bakshi and Wing Commander Rajiv Dobhal, are Mi-17 V5 helicopter pilots. According to IAF Spokesperson, Wg Cdr Bakshi was chosen for the award for courageous missions while undertaking relief operations in Nepal, which was severely hit by an earthquake last year. "The Nepalese officials rushed to Wg Cdr Bakshi on May 12 after a second earthquake hit with information of different locations where grievously injured causalities were reported. Bakshi got airborne immediately in his Mi-17 V5 , followed up with a precise plan in air, addressing the criticality and reached the respective areas," says an IAF Spokesperson. Undeterred by the setting sun and low visibility conditions, Wg Cdr Bakshi courageously pressed on with the rescue and skilfully brought down the helicopter amongst obstructions. Displaying both courage and professionalism of the highest order, he & his crew evacuated nine serious casualties, including four children from different

R-Day: IAF honour for two braveheart helicopter pilotslocations in the shortest possible time. Apart from this courageous mission, he flew 55 hours in 78 sorties in the region. Wing Commander Rajiv Dobhal who participated in Operation Maitri in Nepal last year flew 176 sorties, undertaking several demanding missions and rescuing nu m e r o u s s u r v i vo r s . " T h e m o s t noteworthy was the rescue of 95 stranded Indian mountaineers from Lukla - one of the most dangerous airfields in the world,"

says IAF. Later, Wg Cdr Dobhal was tasked with the evacuation of a Spanish rescue team from Langthang village at an altitude of 12,5000 feet on May 5. On landing at Langthang, he found that the rescue team had moved away and the situation started becoming critical due to onset of a hailstorm and deteriorating light conditions. With the weather close at heels, he flew along the valley bottom and finally spotted the team 10 km away. Displaying utmost professionalism, he skilfully maneuvered his helicopter to land on a restricted field and rescued the Spanish team. As the helicopter exited the valley, the entire area was engulfed by hailstorm.

Republic Day 2016The highlights of this year's Parade related to helicopter aviation (military) was the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy’s Tableaus with the theme 'Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Operations by IAF: In Service of the Nation and Beyond' and 'Empowering India through Maritime security and Indigenisation.' respectively. The IAF Tableau showcased their role in Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Yemen and Nepal rescue and relief operations, by displaying models of C-17 Globemaster, C-130 Hercules and MI-17V5 aircraft. And the Indian Navy's Tableau displayed the flight deck operations on the new aircraft carrier 'Vikrant' under construction at the Kochi Shipyard Ltd .The grand finale of the parade included a spectacular flypast by the IAF. The flypast commenced with the 'Chakra' formation, comprising three Mi-35 helicopters in 'Vic' formation.

4

Internal

During January 2016 ,RWSI Training Faculty maintained its Tempo in Handling Ground Training Requirements of the Industry with usual exuberance .The details of the courses handled are outlined below:-18-19 Jan'16 - Procedures Trg was attended by 18 candidates at GVHL Conference Hall, Mumbai. 20 Jan'16 - CRM Trg was attended by 19 candidates at GVHL Conference Hall, Mumbai. 21 Jan'16 - DGR course was attended by 13 candidates at GVHL. 28 -29 Jan'16 - Procedures Trg was attended by 3 candidates at RWSI office, Noida. 30 Jan'16 - CRM course at Conference Hall BG Shirke Pune was attended by 4 candidates.RWSI Training Faculty at NOIDA has been conducting courses at its newly established class room at RWSI Hqs in Sector 62 can accommodate fifteen students. The class room has also the latest audio-visual aid. A small library with all relevant publications is also provided. RWSI has had the distinction of being the first organization to start Ground Training for Helicopter Professionals in India in 2004.Since then, RWSI is proud to have trained a total of 4202 candidates which includes pilots, engineers and other aviation professionals in various courses conducted at Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Lucknow, Jamshedpur, Ahmedabad and Calcutta. Owing to its professional reputation, it was also invited to conduct Human Factors Training in Kathmandu & SMS course in Singapore. We at RWSI recognize that a regular and ongoing ground training program for helicopter professionals is a major contributor to safety and efficiency of Civil Helicopter Ops in the Country.

RWSI Continues to Maintain its Tempo in Handling Ground

Training Requirements of the Industry

RWSI Conducts Safety Workshops related to Helicopter Ops(Offshore)

During 18-25 Jan 16, RWSI Safety Team conducted Safety Orientation Workshops related to Helicopter Ops (Offshore) for the ONGC personnel deployed in the Offshore Rigs in Bombay High. The one day Safety Education capsule contained lectures related to offshore Ops in Safety Performance of Helicopters, Case Studies of Helicopter Accidents, Review of Passenger & Crew Protection, HLO Responsibilities and initiatives related to Accident Prevention at helideck. These lectures were handled by highly qualified and experienced helicopter pilots in offshore Ops. The lectures were conducted for benefit of ONGC personnel deployed on the Offshore Rigs including contract laborers. Information provided on the competency of the pilots deployed, their back ground, training and the level of maturity and the fitness of the helicopters by way of design, production and certification, including the emergency systems and in-built redundancy contributed greatly in building confidence on the

usage of the machine. The lectures also covered procedures related to approaching the helicopter( with the rotors static or engaged) on the heli deck, precautions to be taken while wearing the safety PPE's while flying as passengers over the water bodies, carriage of personal baggage and Dinghy drill to be followed in case of ditching evinced lot of interest among the participants.

Date Course Place Fee

09-10 February

2016

Procedures Training

NOIDARs. 11,450/- Incl ST

16 February 2016

CRM + Survival Training

NOIDARs. 5,725/- Incl ST

17 February 2016

Dangerous Goods

NOIDARs. 5,725/- Incl ST

16 February 2016

CRM + Survival Training

MUMBAIRs. 5,725/- Incl ST

29 February 2016

CRM + Survival Training

MUMBAIRs. 5,725/- Incl ST

Upcoming Trainings for the month of February

Request you to kindly forward the names with the following details to office@rwsi.org. Name of the Participant:License Number: Name of the Operator: Mobile Number: Email Address:

International Seminar

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