NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister’s Office declared on Thursday that Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy died in an air
crash.
Bodies of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and four others have been found at the chopper’s wreckage site, highly placed Congress sources say.
An official announcement to be made shortly, the sources added.
The helicopter carrying YSR Reddy, two of his staff and two pilots went missing in pouring rain Wednesday morning over the Naxal and tiger-infested Nalamalla forests.
Nearly 24 hours after YSR's chopper went missing, it was located atop Serai Salem hill, at a distance 40 nautical miles (70 kms) east of Kurnool.
The CM left Hyderabad on a six-seater Bell chopper at 8.35am for Chittoor accompanied by his secretary and chief security officer. After 9.27am, radio contact was lost with the helicopter.
Soon after the chopper lost contact, multiple agencies of the state launched a massive hunt for possible wreckage in the desolate terrain. By evening, it expanded into the country's biggest-ever search operation with satellites in the sky joining remote sensing aircraft, fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles, troops on the ground and even barefoot deer-hunting tribals with bows and arrows.
Source:TOI
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Agonising wait for YSR's family
HYDERABAD: It is an agonising wait for the family of Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, who remained untraced nearly 24 hours
after the chopper carrying him and four others went missing in the dense Nallamalla forests.
The chief minister's wife Vijayalaxmi and other family members remain confined at the chief minister's camp office in Begumpet area here, praying for his safe return while his son and MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy has reached Atmakur in Kurnool district, where the authorities are coordinating search operations.
KVP Ramchandra Rao, a close aide of the chief minister, is keeping the family posted of the search operations being carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF), Army and police.
YSR's daughter Sharmila and her children reached Hyderabad from Bangalore in the early hours on Thursday. She is also in touch with the senior officials overseeing search operations from the state secretariat.
Sources in the chief minister's office said Congress president Sonia Gandhi also spoke to YSR's wife and other family members over phone.
The chief minister's son-in-law evangelist Brother Anil Kumar is returning to Hyderabad by cutting short his visit to the US.
YSR's brother YS Vivekananda Reddy offered special prayers in a church in their native Pulivendula town in Kadapa district.
YSR, who turned 60 on July 8, was on his way to Chittoor district from Hyderabad to attend a function when the chopper carrying him and four others went missing.
after the chopper carrying him and four others went missing in the dense Nallamalla forests.
The chief minister's wife Vijayalaxmi and other family members remain confined at the chief minister's camp office in Begumpet area here, praying for his safe return while his son and MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy has reached Atmakur in Kurnool district, where the authorities are coordinating search operations.
KVP Ramchandra Rao, a close aide of the chief minister, is keeping the family posted of the search operations being carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF), Army and police.
YSR's daughter Sharmila and her children reached Hyderabad from Bangalore in the early hours on Thursday. She is also in touch with the senior officials overseeing search operations from the state secretariat.
Sources in the chief minister's office said Congress president Sonia Gandhi also spoke to YSR's wife and other family members over phone.
The chief minister's son-in-law evangelist Brother Anil Kumar is returning to Hyderabad by cutting short his visit to the US.
YSR's brother YS Vivekananda Reddy offered special prayers in a church in their native Pulivendula town in Kadapa district.
YSR, who turned 60 on July 8, was on his way to Chittoor district from Hyderabad to attend a function when the chopper carrying him and four others went missing.
YSR's chopper located near Kurnool: IAF
NEW DELHI: An Air Force spokesperson on Thursday said YSR's chopper has been located on top a hill at a distance of 40 nautical miles east of
Kurnool. He, however, did not confirm if the chopper crashed.
Air Force helicopters
are flying over the region, trying to find a position to land, the spokesperson said.
More details are awaited.
Kurnool. He, however, did not confirm if the chopper crashed.
Air Force helicopters
are flying over the region, trying to find a position to land, the spokesperson said.
More details are awaited.
Search operations narrowed down to 5km radius area: Prithviraj Chavan
HYDERABAD: A 5km radius area in the Nallamalai forests in Andhra Pradesh from where the missing helicopter carrying Andhra Pradesh CM Y S
Rajasekhara Reddy made the last contact to Air Traffic Control has been identified, Union minister Prithviraj Chavan said in Hyderabad on Thursday.
IAF's Sukhoi 30MK1 aircraft with synthetic aperture radar for high resolution ground mapping and a pilotless low-flying ISRO aircraft scoured the thick Nallamalai forests in Kurnool district to locate the missing chopper with five persons, including two pilots, on board.
"By triangulation, we have located the area which is about 5km radius circle and it has been identified based on the last contact with the Air Traffic Control," Chavan, the Union minister of state in the PMO, told reporters.
"They (people on board the chopper) were carrying about five cell phones and so whenever a cell phone passes through a tower it will register and with best help from BSNL, we will identify the area," Chavan, who along with Union law minister Veerappa Moily rushed here on Wednesday night, said.
"We are sparing no efforts whatsoever. We have deployed everything what we have got, air force, state police, air-surveillance, satellite imagery and remote-sensing aircraft have been taking photos. Everything has been put into service," Chavan said.
"It is that area where the last contact with Air Traffic Control was made and also contact with a BSNL mobile tower was made," he said.
Chavan said the photos were not visible clearly and he expects to get clear information in the morning.
"The state machinery is fully geared and briefed us completely and we are quite satisfied that all efforts are being made to locate Rajasekhara Reddy," Chavan said.
Asked what are the chances of the survival of persons on board the chopper, Chavan said, "Let's not speculate. Let's hope and pray that with the best equipment at our disposal, we will go to the point which is the identified area of about 5km radius."
Moily said the state and central governments are taking best possible efforts to locate the chopper. "In fact we expect that something... some positive signals will come back in the early hours."
Rajasekhara Reddy made the last contact to Air Traffic Control has been identified, Union minister Prithviraj Chavan said in Hyderabad on Thursday.
IAF's Sukhoi 30MK1 aircraft with synthetic aperture radar for high resolution ground mapping and a pilotless low-flying ISRO aircraft scoured the thick Nallamalai forests in Kurnool district to locate the missing chopper with five persons, including two pilots, on board.
"By triangulation, we have located the area which is about 5km radius circle and it has been identified based on the last contact with the Air Traffic Control," Chavan, the Union minister of state in the PMO, told reporters.
"They (people on board the chopper) were carrying about five cell phones and so whenever a cell phone passes through a tower it will register and with best help from BSNL, we will identify the area," Chavan, who along with Union law minister Veerappa Moily rushed here on Wednesday night, said.
"We are sparing no efforts whatsoever. We have deployed everything what we have got, air force, state police, air-surveillance, satellite imagery and remote-sensing aircraft have been taking photos. Everything has been put into service," Chavan said.
"It is that area where the last contact with Air Traffic Control was made and also contact with a BSNL mobile tower was made," he said.
Chavan said the photos were not visible clearly and he expects to get clear information in the morning.
"The state machinery is fully geared and briefed us completely and we are quite satisfied that all efforts are being made to locate Rajasekhara Reddy," Chavan said.
Asked what are the chances of the survival of persons on board the chopper, Chavan said, "Let's not speculate. Let's hope and pray that with the best equipment at our disposal, we will go to the point which is the identified area of about 5km radius."
Moily said the state and central governments are taking best possible efforts to locate the chopper. "In fact we expect that something... some positive signals will come back in the early hours."
IAF deploys Sukhoi-M K30
After nearly-day-long helicopter-borne search operations on Wednesday to locate Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and his co-passengers, police and Central paramilitary forces continued their search operations on foot late on Wednesday trying to reach the point where the missing chopper was thought to be last seen.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) launched its state-of-the-art Sukhoi-MK 30 fighter jet from its Bareilly air base to scan the area. According to official sources, the IAF’s mission was on a par with the missions to locate its missing aircraft.
One official IAF source said: “The IAF is following the drill of scrutinising inputs from radar and using the synthetic aperture radar method in a bid to locate the missing chopper. With the help of radar images, we can sweep the area.” The mission would go on through the night.
The IAF has pressed into service an Il-78 aircraft with air-to-air refuelling capability to support the Su-MK-30 in its search operations. An operations control room has been set up at Kurnool by the IAF. Earlier, four IAF helicopters joined the search operations over the thickly forested Nallamalla area.
As news came of Mr. Rajasekhara Reddy being untraceable, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram personally started monitoring the search operations from the North Block headquarters of his Ministry. The Home Minister, who returned here after an early morning visit to Chandigarh, cancelled his appointments for the day and remained in touch with officials in Delhi and Hyderabad.
“There is no good news yet. We’re keeping our fingers crossed. Our prayers are with Rajasekhara Reddy and his family,” he told reporters in the evening, more than nine hours after the helicopter had lost contact with Air Traffic Control (ATC).
Mr. Chidambaram said the search on foot by forest and revenue officials was on around the point where they think the helicopter was last seen. Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were moving on foot. “I have advised the State government to continue the search even during the night with whatever light can be provided,” a grim-looking Minister told reporters. He said search operations would be intensified at the crack of dawn on Thursday.
Later, Mr. Chidambaram drove to the Race Course Road residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and briefed him about the search operations. The Home Ministry rushed five companies of CRPF personnel to the area from Chhattisgarh and Orissa.
Locator Transmitter
Shockingly, according to Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju, the helicopter’s Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) was not working. Had it been working, it would have emitted high-frequency signals in the event of a crash. “These signals,” one aviation expert pointed out, “can be picked up by search helicopters as far away as 100 to 200 km and the location of the chopper or aircraft in case of a crash can be found.”
YSR's chopper goes missing over dense Naxal & tiger-infested Andhra jungle
HYDERABAD: A helicopter carrying Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajashekhar Reddy, two of his staff and two pilots went missing in pouring
rain Wednesday morning over the Naxal and tiger-infested Nalamalla forests and with no contact until early Thursday, experts and officials feared the worst.
Soon after the chopper lost contact, multiple agencies of the state launched a massive hunt for possible wreckage in the desolate terrain. By evening, it expanded into the country's biggest-ever search operation with satellites in the sky joining remote sensing aircraft, fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles, troops on the ground and even barefoot deer-hunting tribals with bows and arrows. The Air Force pressed its topline Sukhoi 30 MKI into a night search and flew in Dornier and Avro reconnaissance aircraft. US ambassador to India Tim Roemer and Union home minister P Chidambaram spoke several times through the evening and the US volunteered to provide information picked up by its satellites.
It was a flight that should not have taken off at all. The Met office had forecast not only heavy rainfall but the likelihood of fierce lightning and thunderstorms. But the 60-year-old politician was adamant. He was to kickstart a new village mass-contact programme called Rachabanda from Chittoor district (better known for housing the Tirupati temple) at 10.30am and there was no way that he was missing his appointment.
The Bell 430 took off at 8.38am from Begumpet airport, not more than 2km from Reddy's residence, on its 500-km journey. For about 30 minutes, things were fine and the pilot was in touch with the air traffic control (ATC). But soon after entering the space over the Nallamalla forests, it ran into problems. Rain was thick and visibility was zero. What happened thereafter remains a mystery so far but in all probability, the helicopter went down. The helicopter was last in contact with the ATC at 9.12am. The chopper had fuel to fly for 2.45 hours, enough to make it to Chittoor.
Apart from Reddy, the chopper was carrying principal secretary to CM S Subrahmanyam and YSR's chief security officer ASC Wesley. The craft was being piloted by group captain S K Bhatia and captain M S Reddy.
"It was last sighted by villagers between Atmakur and Bandiatmakur close to Rollapenta entering the Nallamalla forests from Kurnool district towards Prakasam district between 9.15 am and 9.30 am," chief secretary P Ramakanth Reddy said.
In New Delhi, there was a flurry of activity in the Congress and the home ministry went into a tizzy, setting in motion all emergency procedures possible. Minister of state for defence P Raju said the emergency locating transmitter (ELT) had not been activated and this gave hope that the chopper had made a safe landing.
What is causing immense worry is that Nallamalla, or 'Black Hills' in Telugu, is a dense, hilly, forest that is an extension of the Eastern Ghats. It was once the main area of operation for AP Naxals and armed cadres are still suspected to be hiding out in the forest camps. But what is known for sure is that the forest is tiger territory.
"For the last three days, the forest region has seen heavy rains and zero visibility. The Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers are overflowing and the Srisailam reservoir is full. The area is full of water," A V Rao, a Kurnool resident, told TOI. The area is sparsely populated with Chenchu tribals. "It is an inaccessible area with no cellphone towers, radio signals," Rao added. Strangely enough for a helicopter carrying the chief minister, the Bell 430 did not have a satellite phone connection.
Alarm bells started ringing in the state government headquarters from mid-day but police parties which were sent out drew a blank as they could not venture out too far in pouring rain. Meanwhile, the rumour mill was active with stories flying thick and fast about how the chief minister had been rescued. Faced with a barrage of queries, finance minister K Rosiah called a press conference to deny that Reddy had been found.
Later in the day, chief secretary Ramakanth Reddy said two IAF helicopters from Bangalore and one private chopper from Krishnapatnam in Nellore district scoured the area but found no sign of the CM's chopper. "Earlier, two IAF choppers from Hakimpet had set out but had to return halfway because of the inclement weather. The state has now deployed an aircraft belonging to the National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) which is operating throughout Monday night at a height of 1.5 km over the forest area where the helicopter was last sighted," the chief secretary said.
Teams which entered the Nallamalla forests during the day on foot had to return because of adverse weather conditions. "We went upto 20 km into the forest but had to return as the rivers are in spate," K Subba Reddy, a local resident of Velgodu village, told TOI over phone after returning to the village.
Late on Wednesday night, hundreds of Greyhound personnel, raised to fight Naxals, moved into the Nallamalla forest riding on tractors borrowed from Nallakaluva village in Kurnool district as part of the search operations. Officials from the revenue and forest departments, AP Special Police and tribals were also pressed into service, the chief secretary said.
rain Wednesday morning over the Naxal and tiger-infested Nalamalla forests and with no contact until early Thursday, experts and officials feared the worst.
Soon after the chopper lost contact, multiple agencies of the state launched a massive hunt for possible wreckage in the desolate terrain. By evening, it expanded into the country's biggest-ever search operation with satellites in the sky joining remote sensing aircraft, fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles, troops on the ground and even barefoot deer-hunting tribals with bows and arrows. The Air Force pressed its topline Sukhoi 30 MKI into a night search and flew in Dornier and Avro reconnaissance aircraft. US ambassador to India Tim Roemer and Union home minister P Chidambaram spoke several times through the evening and the US volunteered to provide information picked up by its satellites.
It was a flight that should not have taken off at all. The Met office had forecast not only heavy rainfall but the likelihood of fierce lightning and thunderstorms. But the 60-year-old politician was adamant. He was to kickstart a new village mass-contact programme called Rachabanda from Chittoor district (better known for housing the Tirupati temple) at 10.30am and there was no way that he was missing his appointment.
The Bell 430 took off at 8.38am from Begumpet airport, not more than 2km from Reddy's residence, on its 500-km journey. For about 30 minutes, things were fine and the pilot was in touch with the air traffic control (ATC). But soon after entering the space over the Nallamalla forests, it ran into problems. Rain was thick and visibility was zero. What happened thereafter remains a mystery so far but in all probability, the helicopter went down. The helicopter was last in contact with the ATC at 9.12am. The chopper had fuel to fly for 2.45 hours, enough to make it to Chittoor.
Apart from Reddy, the chopper was carrying principal secretary to CM S Subrahmanyam and YSR's chief security officer ASC Wesley. The craft was being piloted by group captain S K Bhatia and captain M S Reddy.
"It was last sighted by villagers between Atmakur and Bandiatmakur close to Rollapenta entering the Nallamalla forests from Kurnool district towards Prakasam district between 9.15 am and 9.30 am," chief secretary P Ramakanth Reddy said.
In New Delhi, there was a flurry of activity in the Congress and the home ministry went into a tizzy, setting in motion all emergency procedures possible. Minister of state for defence P Raju said the emergency locating transmitter (ELT) had not been activated and this gave hope that the chopper had made a safe landing.
What is causing immense worry is that Nallamalla, or 'Black Hills' in Telugu, is a dense, hilly, forest that is an extension of the Eastern Ghats. It was once the main area of operation for AP Naxals and armed cadres are still suspected to be hiding out in the forest camps. But what is known for sure is that the forest is tiger territory.
"For the last three days, the forest region has seen heavy rains and zero visibility. The Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers are overflowing and the Srisailam reservoir is full. The area is full of water," A V Rao, a Kurnool resident, told TOI. The area is sparsely populated with Chenchu tribals. "It is an inaccessible area with no cellphone towers, radio signals," Rao added. Strangely enough for a helicopter carrying the chief minister, the Bell 430 did not have a satellite phone connection.
Alarm bells started ringing in the state government headquarters from mid-day but police parties which were sent out drew a blank as they could not venture out too far in pouring rain. Meanwhile, the rumour mill was active with stories flying thick and fast about how the chief minister had been rescued. Faced with a barrage of queries, finance minister K Rosiah called a press conference to deny that Reddy had been found.
Later in the day, chief secretary Ramakanth Reddy said two IAF helicopters from Bangalore and one private chopper from Krishnapatnam in Nellore district scoured the area but found no sign of the CM's chopper. "Earlier, two IAF choppers from Hakimpet had set out but had to return halfway because of the inclement weather. The state has now deployed an aircraft belonging to the National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) which is operating throughout Monday night at a height of 1.5 km over the forest area where the helicopter was last sighted," the chief secretary said.
Teams which entered the Nallamalla forests during the day on foot had to return because of adverse weather conditions. "We went upto 20 km into the forest but had to return as the rivers are in spate," K Subba Reddy, a local resident of Velgodu village, told TOI over phone after returning to the village.
Late on Wednesday night, hundreds of Greyhound personnel, raised to fight Naxals, moved into the Nallamalla forest riding on tractors borrowed from Nallakaluva village in Kurnool district as part of the search operations. Officials from the revenue and forest departments, AP Special Police and tribals were also pressed into service, the chief secretary said.
Search in Nallamala will be a daunting task
The search for the missing helicopter is focussed around roughly 300 sq. km. of Nallamala forest in Kurnool and Prakasam districts, a daunting task indeed for the police teams that have fanned out into the thick forest area, once a Maoist stronghold.
Large contingents of Grey Hounds, the elite anti-naxalite commando force, have been rushed to Kurnool and Prakasam districts for the search and rescue operations. The commandos are the most competent for the job as they are well-versed with the forest terrain, but inclement weather is hampering the progress of the units.
The forest is spread over nearly 6,000 sq.km. and traverses through Mahabubnagar, Kurnool, and Prakasam districts, which incidentally were on the flight path of the Bell-430 helicopter that carried Mr. Rajasekhara Reddy.
The search teams have narrowed down the area on the expectation that after being airborne for one hour, the chopper would have crossed or have been in the vicinity of Atmakur town in Kurnool district.
What has surprised officials is the complete radio silence from the Bell-430. Every helicopter, sources in the aviation industry say, is equipped with High Frequency (HF) and Very High Frequency (VHF) sets.
Puzzling fact
While HF is used for long range communication, the VHF is used for communication within 150 km. In the event of a crash, however, these sets might not function if the external antennae are destroyed under the impact of a crash.
The other puzzling fact in the episode is that every helicopter is expected to have an Emergency Locating Transmitter (ELT) fitted to the aircraft body, while the pilot is expected to carry a Personal Recovery Beacon (PRB).
The ELT would start giving distress signals in the event of a crash and the PRB, once activated, would start beaming the Global Positioning System (GPS) ‘latlong’ (latitude and longitude) details.
This would have helped authorities pinpoint the location of the chopper, if it had crashed or force-landed in an interior place.
However, none of these details are available, making it more difficult for the search and rescue teams, officials say.
by
K. Srinivas Reddy (thehindu)
Large contingents of Grey Hounds, the elite anti-naxalite commando force, have been rushed to Kurnool and Prakasam districts for the search and rescue operations. The commandos are the most competent for the job as they are well-versed with the forest terrain, but inclement weather is hampering the progress of the units.
The forest is spread over nearly 6,000 sq.km. and traverses through Mahabubnagar, Kurnool, and Prakasam districts, which incidentally were on the flight path of the Bell-430 helicopter that carried Mr. Rajasekhara Reddy.
The search teams have narrowed down the area on the expectation that after being airborne for one hour, the chopper would have crossed or have been in the vicinity of Atmakur town in Kurnool district.
What has surprised officials is the complete radio silence from the Bell-430. Every helicopter, sources in the aviation industry say, is equipped with High Frequency (HF) and Very High Frequency (VHF) sets.
Puzzling fact
While HF is used for long range communication, the VHF is used for communication within 150 km. In the event of a crash, however, these sets might not function if the external antennae are destroyed under the impact of a crash.
The other puzzling fact in the episode is that every helicopter is expected to have an Emergency Locating Transmitter (ELT) fitted to the aircraft body, while the pilot is expected to carry a Personal Recovery Beacon (PRB).
The ELT would start giving distress signals in the event of a crash and the PRB, once activated, would start beaming the Global Positioning System (GPS) ‘latlong’ (latitude and longitude) details.
This would have helped authorities pinpoint the location of the chopper, if it had crashed or force-landed in an interior place.
However, none of these details are available, making it more difficult for the search and rescue teams, officials say.
by
K. Srinivas Reddy (thehindu)
Helicopter search for YSR called off: Chidambaram
NEW DELHI: The search operations by helicopters for locating Andhra Pradesh CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy has been called off because of light and weather conditions and will resume tomorrow morning, home minister P Chidambaram said here on Wednesday.
"There is no good news yet. We are keeping our fingers crossed. Our prayers are with Rajasekhara Reddy and his family," he told reporters more than nine hours after the helicopter lost the contact with the ATC at 9:35 AM.
The search has been stopped for the time being because of weather and light conditions. Tomorrow in the first light of the day, helicopters will continue the search, he said.
However, Chidambaram said the search on foot by forest and revenue officials was on around the point where they think the helicopter was last seen. Police and CRPF personnel were also moving on foot. They would reach there in an hour or so.
"I have advised the state government to continue the search even during the night with whatever light is available. Perhaps they would be able to do the search on for couple of hours," he said.
The union home ministry has rushed 5,000 CRPF personnel to the area from nearby Chattisgarh and Orissa to conduct search in the area.
Source: TOI
"There is no good news yet. We are keeping our fingers crossed. Our prayers are with Rajasekhara Reddy and his family," he told reporters more than nine hours after the helicopter lost the contact with the ATC at 9:35 AM.
The search has been stopped for the time being because of weather and light conditions. Tomorrow in the first light of the day, helicopters will continue the search, he said.
However, Chidambaram said the search on foot by forest and revenue officials was on around the point where they think the helicopter was last seen. Police and CRPF personnel were also moving on foot. They would reach there in an hour or so.
"I have advised the state government to continue the search even during the night with whatever light is available. Perhaps they would be able to do the search on for couple of hours," he said.
The union home ministry has rushed 5,000 CRPF personnel to the area from nearby Chattisgarh and Orissa to conduct search in the area.
Source: TOI
IAF deploys Sukhoi jet to locate YSR's chopper
NEW DELHI: Ramping up the frantic search for missing helicopter of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S R Reddy, the IAF on Wednesday deployed a
Sukhoi fighter jet with on-board radar for high resolution ground mapping to locate it.
"The IAF has pressed into service a Su-30MKI fighter aircraft with synthetic aperture radar for high-resolution ground mapping to locate the missing helicopter of the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister," an IAF officer said here.
The Su-30MKI air superiority fighter jet will be supported in the search operation by an air-to-air refueller so that fuel could be transferred to the aircraft while flying.
The air-to-air refuelling will help the Sukhoi to continue its search for longer hours as the aircraft is capable of operating day and night.
The fighter jet has flown out of its base in Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh and will be provided fuel during flight, if required, by IL-78s that will fly out from Agra, he said.
The Sukhoi deployment came within hours of the IAF launching four military helicopters to locate the Bell-430 VVIP chopper, which went missing after taking off from Hyderabad in the morning.
Source: TOI
Sukhoi fighter jet with on-board radar for high resolution ground mapping to locate it.
"The IAF has pressed into service a Su-30MKI fighter aircraft with synthetic aperture radar for high-resolution ground mapping to locate the missing helicopter of the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister," an IAF officer said here.
The Su-30MKI air superiority fighter jet will be supported in the search operation by an air-to-air refueller so that fuel could be transferred to the aircraft while flying.
The air-to-air refuelling will help the Sukhoi to continue its search for longer hours as the aircraft is capable of operating day and night.
The fighter jet has flown out of its base in Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh and will be provided fuel during flight, if required, by IL-78s that will fly out from Agra, he said.
The Sukhoi deployment came within hours of the IAF launching four military helicopters to locate the Bell-430 VVIP chopper, which went missing after taking off from Hyderabad in the morning.
Source: TOI
Helicopter was in radio contact till 9.12 am.
The pilot of the helicopter that carried Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy made the last contact with the Air Traffic Controller of the Shamshabad airport here at 9.12 a.m. on Wednesday.
The Bell 430 chopper took off from the Begumpet airport at 8.38 a.m., and the pilot spoke to the Shamshabad airport ATC at 8.39 a.m. He stayed in touch till 9.12 a.m., after which there was no contact, according to R.K. Singla, Director, Hyderabad International and Begumpet Airports.
At the time of the last contact, the helicopter was 80 km south southeast of Shamshabad. In between, at 9.02 a.m., the pilot spoke with the ATC of the Chennai airport through High Frequency Radio and was asked to report back at 9.30. The contact was lost before he could talk again.
Mr. Singla told The Hindu that in such situations, an emergency signal would be transmitted. But the fact that such a signal was not picked up indicated that it was not transmitted. Furthermore, there was no distress call or SOS from the pilot. The helicopter also had enough fuel.
With the helicopter failing to land at Chittoor at the scheduled time of 11 a.m., the police informed the airport authorities that its whereabouts were not known.
Mr. Singla said two IAF choppers which went in search of the missing helicopter returned owing to bad weather, while another helicopter of the State government landed at Atmakur in Kurnool district.
He said the ATC would normally inform the pilot about the weather conditions from the start till the landing point, including places en route. It was to be assumed that everything was fine till 9.12 a.m. when the pilot last communicated.
Source: Thehindu
The Bell 430 chopper took off from the Begumpet airport at 8.38 a.m., and the pilot spoke to the Shamshabad airport ATC at 8.39 a.m. He stayed in touch till 9.12 a.m., after which there was no contact, according to R.K. Singla, Director, Hyderabad International and Begumpet Airports.
At the time of the last contact, the helicopter was 80 km south southeast of Shamshabad. In between, at 9.02 a.m., the pilot spoke with the ATC of the Chennai airport through High Frequency Radio and was asked to report back at 9.30. The contact was lost before he could talk again.
Mr. Singla told The Hindu that in such situations, an emergency signal would be transmitted. But the fact that such a signal was not picked up indicated that it was not transmitted. Furthermore, there was no distress call or SOS from the pilot. The helicopter also had enough fuel.
With the helicopter failing to land at Chittoor at the scheduled time of 11 a.m., the police informed the airport authorities that its whereabouts were not known.
Mr. Singla said two IAF choppers which went in search of the missing helicopter returned owing to bad weather, while another helicopter of the State government landed at Atmakur in Kurnool district.
He said the ATC would normally inform the pilot about the weather conditions from the start till the landing point, including places en route. It was to be assumed that everything was fine till 9.12 a.m. when the pilot last communicated.
Source: Thehindu
NSA rules out Naxal strike on YSR's chopper
NEW DELHI: National Security Advisor M K Narayanan on Wednesday appeared to completely rule out the possibility of Naxals bringing down the
helicopter of Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S R Reddy that went missing in the state, saying the ultras did not have such a capability.
He said it was quite possible that a technical snag or a pilot error could have led to the chopper going missing.
"Naxal strike seems extremely improbable. I would almost entirely rule it out. I do not think the Naxalites have the capability to bring down the helicopter," Narayanan said here.
Narayanan said the government was determined to continue the search for the helicopter or its wreckage and the Chief Minister, his secretary and personal security officer.
"The search will continue till we get hold of the helicopter or its wreckage and the persons on board the helicopter. We will search tonight and tomorrow morning. I don't think there is any question of calling off the search," he told a TV channel.
Pointing out that the country has been very worried over the safety of the chief minister, he said the Centre, apart from the state, had done the utmost to find the helicopter by pressing into service IAF helicopers and aircraft with radars for ground mapping the region.
Source: TOI
helicopter of Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S R Reddy that went missing in the state, saying the ultras did not have such a capability.
He said it was quite possible that a technical snag or a pilot error could have led to the chopper going missing.
"Naxal strike seems extremely improbable. I would almost entirely rule it out. I do not think the Naxalites have the capability to bring down the helicopter," Narayanan said here.
Narayanan said the government was determined to continue the search for the helicopter or its wreckage and the Chief Minister, his secretary and personal security officer.
"The search will continue till we get hold of the helicopter or its wreckage and the persons on board the helicopter. We will search tonight and tomorrow morning. I don't think there is any question of calling off the search," he told a TV channel.
Pointing out that the country has been very worried over the safety of the chief minister, he said the Centre, apart from the state, had done the utmost to find the helicopter by pressing into service IAF helicopers and aircraft with radars for ground mapping the region.
Source: TOI
Air tragedies not new for political leaders
NEW DELHI: Tragedies have struck many air-borne political leaders even as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YSR Reddy has been missing after the
helicopter carrying him lost contact since morning on Wednesday.
Sanjay Gandhi was killed when the glider he was flying crashed at the Safdarjung airport in Delhi some 29 years back.
Madhavrao Scindia was killed in a plane crash on September 30, 2001, less than a decade ago when he was travelling to Kanpur for addressing a Congress rally.
Lok Sabha Speaker G M C Balayogi died in a chopper crash on March 3, 2002 in West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh.
Haryana ministers O P Jindal and Surendra Singh were killed in a chopper crash a few years back.
Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress President and Union Ministers Prithviraj Chauhan and Selja had a miraculous escape in 2004 when the rear portion of their chopper broke on landing at a helipad in Khanvel, a village in south Gujarat.
Source: TOI
helicopter carrying him lost contact since morning on Wednesday.
Sanjay Gandhi was killed when the glider he was flying crashed at the Safdarjung airport in Delhi some 29 years back.
Madhavrao Scindia was killed in a plane crash on September 30, 2001, less than a decade ago when he was travelling to Kanpur for addressing a Congress rally.
Lok Sabha Speaker G M C Balayogi died in a chopper crash on March 3, 2002 in West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh.
Haryana ministers O P Jindal and Surendra Singh were killed in a chopper crash a few years back.
Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress President and Union Ministers Prithviraj Chauhan and Selja had a miraculous escape in 2004 when the rear portion of their chopper broke on landing at a helipad in Khanvel, a village in south Gujarat.
Source: TOI
Massive rescue operation on to trace Andhra CM's chopper
HYDERABAD/NEW DELHI: From remote sensing satellites, IAF's Sukhoi-30 jet and military helicopters to special commandos and army soldiers a
mission of a huge magnitude was underway tonight to trace the missing helicopter with Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy on board.
And no possible rescue tool was left out with local villagers even provided with torches as the search covered six districts most of it in Nallamala forests that used to be dominated by Naxals. Tribal teams, forest and revenue officials were also scouring the area.
ISRO's Radar Imaging Satellite had been pressed into service and will click photographs of a area on the route of the helicopter while the IAF pressed into service a Su-30MKI fighter aircraft with synthetic aperture radar for high-resolution ground mapping.
The radar of the Sukhoi aircraft which can sweep the six districts in a jiffy can help in finding out if anything is amiss. And two mid-air refuelling aircraft will be in service so that the Sukhoi does not have to go their base.
The air-to-air refuelling will help the Sukhoi to continue its search for longer hours as the aircraft is capable of operating day and night. The Sukhois have an endurance level of three to four hours of continuous flying, but it could be enhanced to about 10 hours at a stretch with refuelling.
Several boats were also scouring River Krishna. Chief Secretary P Ramakanth Reddy said the state government is also trying to seek help of the US Defence department to have real-time satellite imagery of the area where the Bell-430 helicopter went missing.
Eleven choopers including four from the IAF were also pressed into service.
The Indian Army has deployed over 250 personnel with night vision devices to carry out search operations in the Nallamala forest area.
"We have deployed two columns and one ghatak platoon in the area for searching the Chief Minister. Our troops are equipped with night vision devices such as goggles and hand held thermal imagers," Army officials said in New Delhi.
"Our troops will focus on searching for the chopper in the Nallamalla forest area in the night also with the help of their equipment," they added.
The troops, officials said, are from the infantry division based in the area.
About 500 CRPF personnel were deployed for a combing operation in naxal-affected dense forests in the Kurnool area over which the Bell helicopter may have passed, Home Ministry officials said in New Delhi.
The CRPF personnel will be called from neighbouring Chhattisgarh and Orissa, the officials said adding the first batch of these men is expected to reach soon.
The AP government has also rushed hundreds of 'Greyhounds' or special commandoes used to junge terrain to the area.
Source: TOI
mission of a huge magnitude was underway tonight to trace the missing helicopter with Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy on board.
And no possible rescue tool was left out with local villagers even provided with torches as the search covered six districts most of it in Nallamala forests that used to be dominated by Naxals. Tribal teams, forest and revenue officials were also scouring the area.
ISRO's Radar Imaging Satellite had been pressed into service and will click photographs of a area on the route of the helicopter while the IAF pressed into service a Su-30MKI fighter aircraft with synthetic aperture radar for high-resolution ground mapping.
The radar of the Sukhoi aircraft which can sweep the six districts in a jiffy can help in finding out if anything is amiss. And two mid-air refuelling aircraft will be in service so that the Sukhoi does not have to go their base.
The air-to-air refuelling will help the Sukhoi to continue its search for longer hours as the aircraft is capable of operating day and night. The Sukhois have an endurance level of three to four hours of continuous flying, but it could be enhanced to about 10 hours at a stretch with refuelling.
Several boats were also scouring River Krishna. Chief Secretary P Ramakanth Reddy said the state government is also trying to seek help of the US Defence department to have real-time satellite imagery of the area where the Bell-430 helicopter went missing.
Eleven choopers including four from the IAF were also pressed into service.
The Indian Army has deployed over 250 personnel with night vision devices to carry out search operations in the Nallamala forest area.
"We have deployed two columns and one ghatak platoon in the area for searching the Chief Minister. Our troops are equipped with night vision devices such as goggles and hand held thermal imagers," Army officials said in New Delhi.
"Our troops will focus on searching for the chopper in the Nallamalla forest area in the night also with the help of their equipment," they added.
The troops, officials said, are from the infantry division based in the area.
About 500 CRPF personnel were deployed for a combing operation in naxal-affected dense forests in the Kurnool area over which the Bell helicopter may have passed, Home Ministry officials said in New Delhi.
The CRPF personnel will be called from neighbouring Chhattisgarh and Orissa, the officials said adding the first batch of these men is expected to reach soon.
The AP government has also rushed hundreds of 'Greyhounds' or special commandoes used to junge terrain to the area.
Source: TOI
Missing chopper was not airworthy: Sources
NEW DELHI: The Bell 430 helicopter that went missing on Wednesday with Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy on board was not
airworthy and was pulled out of the chief minister's use last year after the state purchased a new Italian chopper, civil aviation sources said.
The Andhra Pradesh Resident Commissioner here, Rajat Bhargava, was unable to explain why the chief minister chose to fly by an old chopper when he had a new one, Agusta AW 139, bought for Rs.58 crores.
The sources in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aviation regulator, said that Bell 430 was not airworthy and its certificate of airworthiness had not been renewed for the last two years.
The new Italian chopper was put into service from November last year, the sources said.
Soon afterward, the Bell 430 was handed over to the Andhra Pradesh Aviation Corp for commercial operations. According to one official, the police in Andhra Pradesh were now using the chopper.
The Bell 430 was then taken out of service for the chief minister due to its limited seating capacity and lack of night-landing capability.
This is not the first incident of this kind involving Bell choppers in Andhra Pradesh.
In March 2002, a Bell 206 B-3 Jetranger helicopter, owned by Deccan Aviation Pvt Ltd, crashed in Andhra Pradesh killing then Lok Sabha speaker G.M.C. Balayogi.
After hitting a coconut tree and high-tension power lines, it crashed in a fishpond at Kovvadalanka while flying from Bhimavaram to Hyderabad.
In another incident, a Bell 430 chopper crashed in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh killing four people, according to the DGCA website.
Bell 430 is a four-blade twin-engine high-speed corporate and executive helicopter capable of speeding up to 257 km an hour. It can carry five passengers besides two pilots.
Source: TOI
airworthy and was pulled out of the chief minister's use last year after the state purchased a new Italian chopper, civil aviation sources said.
The Andhra Pradesh Resident Commissioner here, Rajat Bhargava, was unable to explain why the chief minister chose to fly by an old chopper when he had a new one, Agusta AW 139, bought for Rs.58 crores.
The sources in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aviation regulator, said that Bell 430 was not airworthy and its certificate of airworthiness had not been renewed for the last two years.
The new Italian chopper was put into service from November last year, the sources said.
Soon afterward, the Bell 430 was handed over to the Andhra Pradesh Aviation Corp for commercial operations. According to one official, the police in Andhra Pradesh were now using the chopper.
The Bell 430 was then taken out of service for the chief minister due to its limited seating capacity and lack of night-landing capability.
This is not the first incident of this kind involving Bell choppers in Andhra Pradesh.
In March 2002, a Bell 206 B-3 Jetranger helicopter, owned by Deccan Aviation Pvt Ltd, crashed in Andhra Pradesh killing then Lok Sabha speaker G.M.C. Balayogi.
After hitting a coconut tree and high-tension power lines, it crashed in a fishpond at Kovvadalanka while flying from Bhimavaram to Hyderabad.
In another incident, a Bell 430 chopper crashed in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh killing four people, according to the DGCA website.
Bell 430 is a four-blade twin-engine high-speed corporate and executive helicopter capable of speeding up to 257 km an hour. It can carry five passengers besides two pilots.
Source: TOI
Tribals, not technology, helped in the past
Although the Centre and the Andhra Pradesh government are sparing no effort to locate Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s chopper with aerial reconnaissance and satellite imagery, it is pertinent to note that it was human intelligence and not high-end technology that helped locate two chopper crash sites in recent times.
The two choppers, one owned by the Chhattisgarh government and the other hired by it, crashed in July 2007 and August 2008. In both instances, the government had pressed into service Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) and helicopters for aerial surveillance, but several sorties yielded no result. Ultimately, tribals helped locate the wreckage.
Chhattisgarh police officers, who monitored the search operations then, said it was extremely difficult to locate any wreckage by scanning the area through binoculars. Also, the possibility of wreckage or a crash-landed chopper would depend solely on weather conditions. A downpour reduces visibility and any kind of ‘low-flying’ would not help, officers say. Thick foliage is another problem that would confront ‘air-search teams.’
Officers surmise that in this season the forest cover in Nallamala would be extremely thick, and it would be difficult to see through the canopy.
In the first crash, the government-owned EC-135 chopper took off from Bhopal on July 14, 2007, to Raipur, and disappeared midway. With rumours of Maoists shooting down the chopper, the Chhattisgarh government spared no effort in locating the wreckage, but failed. A week later, a tribal found the wreckage on top of a hillock near Dammudhara village.
Authorities who trekked into the jungle deduced that the chopper could have been flying low because of inclement weather and crashed into a tree atop the hillock. The pilot, Captain A.S. Sidhu, co-pilot Vikram Savekar, and two other technicians died in the crash.
In the second incident, a chopper (Bell-430) hired by the government took off from the Begumpet airport in Hyderabad on its way to Raipur on August 3, 2008. It lost contact an hour later, triggering suspicions that Maoists might have shot it down in the Bastar forests, as it was their stronghold. The deployment of UAVs and two choppers for aerial reconnaissance did not help.
Three months later, a tribal found the wreckage on a hillock at Kodijuttugutta village in Khammam district. In this case, the police successfully employed the strategy of publishing pictures of helicopters and contacting tribals in weekly shanties, urging them to look for any wreckage. Four persons, including two pilots, were killed in this crash.
by K. Srinivas Reddy (thehindu)
The two choppers, one owned by the Chhattisgarh government and the other hired by it, crashed in July 2007 and August 2008. In both instances, the government had pressed into service Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) and helicopters for aerial surveillance, but several sorties yielded no result. Ultimately, tribals helped locate the wreckage.
Chhattisgarh police officers, who monitored the search operations then, said it was extremely difficult to locate any wreckage by scanning the area through binoculars. Also, the possibility of wreckage or a crash-landed chopper would depend solely on weather conditions. A downpour reduces visibility and any kind of ‘low-flying’ would not help, officers say. Thick foliage is another problem that would confront ‘air-search teams.’
Officers surmise that in this season the forest cover in Nallamala would be extremely thick, and it would be difficult to see through the canopy.
In the first crash, the government-owned EC-135 chopper took off from Bhopal on July 14, 2007, to Raipur, and disappeared midway. With rumours of Maoists shooting down the chopper, the Chhattisgarh government spared no effort in locating the wreckage, but failed. A week later, a tribal found the wreckage on top of a hillock near Dammudhara village.
Authorities who trekked into the jungle deduced that the chopper could have been flying low because of inclement weather and crashed into a tree atop the hillock. The pilot, Captain A.S. Sidhu, co-pilot Vikram Savekar, and two other technicians died in the crash.
In the second incident, a chopper (Bell-430) hired by the government took off from the Begumpet airport in Hyderabad on its way to Raipur on August 3, 2008. It lost contact an hour later, triggering suspicions that Maoists might have shot it down in the Bastar forests, as it was their stronghold. The deployment of UAVs and two choppers for aerial reconnaissance did not help.
Three months later, a tribal found the wreckage on a hillock at Kodijuttugutta village in Khammam district. In this case, the police successfully employed the strategy of publishing pictures of helicopters and contacting tribals in weekly shanties, urging them to look for any wreckage. Four persons, including two pilots, were killed in this crash.
by K. Srinivas Reddy (thehindu)
YSR’s chopper was dusted off from hangar
The Bell-430 helicopter, which Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy took to fly to Chittoor district on Wednesday, was virtually dusted off from a hangar at the Begumpet airport here.
It was exactly one year ago that the State government acquired a brand new AgustaWestland AW-139 helicopter from the company’s main facility in Italy for Rs. 58 crore. But, Dr. Reddy had no option other than using the Bell-430 as the AgustaWestland helicopter was recently sent for overhaul after having been in operation for one full year.
The Bell-430, purchased from the U.S. for Rs. 26 crore, was found inadequate as it lacked night-landing facility and often required repairs and overhaul. On Wednesday, it was flown by a new pilot in place of the Chief Minister’s regular pilot who was drawn from the Indian Air Force.
The Bell helicopter was transferred to the A.P. Aviation Corporation, constituted recently to undertake commercial operations of helicopters, and ever since it had been confined to the hangar.
The AgustaWestland was brought to New Delhi first by a Russian cargo aircraft in August last year and flown to Hyderabad on September 15 after trials.
It was exactly one year ago that the State government acquired a brand new AgustaWestland AW-139 helicopter from the company’s main facility in Italy for Rs. 58 crore. But, Dr. Reddy had no option other than using the Bell-430 as the AgustaWestland helicopter was recently sent for overhaul after having been in operation for one full year.
The Bell-430, purchased from the U.S. for Rs. 26 crore, was found inadequate as it lacked night-landing facility and often required repairs and overhaul. On Wednesday, it was flown by a new pilot in place of the Chief Minister’s regular pilot who was drawn from the Indian Air Force.
The Bell helicopter was transferred to the A.P. Aviation Corporation, constituted recently to undertake commercial operations of helicopters, and ever since it had been confined to the hangar.
The AgustaWestland was brought to New Delhi first by a Russian cargo aircraft in August last year and flown to Hyderabad on September 15 after trials.
NSA rules out Naxal strike on YSR’s chopper
National Security Advisor M K Narayanan on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of Naxals bringing down the helicopter of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy that went missing in the State, saying the ultras did not have such a capability.
He said it was quite possible that a technical snag or a pilot error could have led to the chopper going missing.
“Naxal strike seems extremely improbable. I would almost entirely rule it out. I do not think the Naxalites have the capability to bring down the helicopter,” Mr. Narayanan said here.
Mr. Narayanan said the government was determined to continue the search for the helicopter or its wreckage and the Chief Minister, his secretary and personal security officer.
“The search will continue till we get hold of the helicopter or its wreckage and the persons on board the helicopter. We will search tonight and tomorrow morning. I don’t think there is any question of calling off the search,” he told CNN—IBN.
He said the Centre, apart from the State, had done the utmost to find the helicopter by pressing into service IAF helicopters and aircraft with radars for ground mapping the region.
“The situation does not seem to be good. We have done helicopter search in several areas such as the Northeast where communication has been far less adequate,” Mr. Narayanan said.
He said the government also planned to have satellite images of the region obtained from ISRO once Indian satellites come over the region tomorrow.
“We are keeping our fingers crossed that there would be miraculous escape (for the Reddy and his personnel) in this case,” he added.
He said it was quite possible that a technical snag or a pilot error could have led to the chopper going missing.
“Naxal strike seems extremely improbable. I would almost entirely rule it out. I do not think the Naxalites have the capability to bring down the helicopter,” Mr. Narayanan said here.
Mr. Narayanan said the government was determined to continue the search for the helicopter or its wreckage and the Chief Minister, his secretary and personal security officer.
“The search will continue till we get hold of the helicopter or its wreckage and the persons on board the helicopter. We will search tonight and tomorrow morning. I don’t think there is any question of calling off the search,” he told CNN—IBN.
He said the Centre, apart from the State, had done the utmost to find the helicopter by pressing into service IAF helicopters and aircraft with radars for ground mapping the region.
“The situation does not seem to be good. We have done helicopter search in several areas such as the Northeast where communication has been far less adequate,” Mr. Narayanan said.
He said the government also planned to have satellite images of the region obtained from ISRO once Indian satellites come over the region tomorrow.
“We are keeping our fingers crossed that there would be miraculous escape (for the Reddy and his personnel) in this case,” he added.
Gloom descends on Secretariat, party
An air of gloom descended on the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat and the Congress as there was no breakthrough in the search operations or about the well-being and safety of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, whose helicopter went missing on Wednesday.
Political leaders made a beeline for the Secretariat, even as others including the main Opposition Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu, held prayers. Praja Rajyam Party chief Chiranjeevi called on Finance Minister K. Rosaiah to know about the latest information on Dr. Reddy.
There was all-round concern at Dr. Reddy’s whereabouts. His colleagues, party legislators and anxious party cadres, besides officials and employees, thronged ‘Samatha’ ‘C’ block that houses the Chief Minister’s office.
It was utter chaos outside the building housing the CMO as journalists and officials tried desperately to get some positive information. Outdoor vans of television channels rushed to the Secretariat to beam proceedings live.
A sense of relief was palpable for some time as news came that the chopper had been traced and that the VVIP landed safely, albeit in a thick forest of the Nallamala range. But the respite was short-lived.
“We hope the Chief Minister has landed safely. We are trying to locate the chopper,” Mr. Rosaiah said, much to the dismay of the news channels that claimed that contact had been established and Dr. Reddy had spoken to his Political Adviser, K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao.
The mood at the Gandhi Bhavan and in the Congress Legislature Party was one of tension and anxiety. No sooner the information broke that the chopper was missing than panic-stricken leaders rushed to the State Congress headquarters.
Congress MLA Erasu Pratap Reddy, who represents the Srisailam constituency, where the chopper is feared to have landed, telephonically asked his party supporters in Atmakur and nearby mandals to scout for Dr. Reddy after preliminary information reached here that his helicopter had landed at Bhanumokkula in Pamulapadu in Kurnool district.
Political leaders made a beeline for the Secretariat, even as others including the main Opposition Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu, held prayers. Praja Rajyam Party chief Chiranjeevi called on Finance Minister K. Rosaiah to know about the latest information on Dr. Reddy.
There was all-round concern at Dr. Reddy’s whereabouts. His colleagues, party legislators and anxious party cadres, besides officials and employees, thronged ‘Samatha’ ‘C’ block that houses the Chief Minister’s office.
It was utter chaos outside the building housing the CMO as journalists and officials tried desperately to get some positive information. Outdoor vans of television channels rushed to the Secretariat to beam proceedings live.
A sense of relief was palpable for some time as news came that the chopper had been traced and that the VVIP landed safely, albeit in a thick forest of the Nallamala range. But the respite was short-lived.
“We hope the Chief Minister has landed safely. We are trying to locate the chopper,” Mr. Rosaiah said, much to the dismay of the news channels that claimed that contact had been established and Dr. Reddy had spoken to his Political Adviser, K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao.
The mood at the Gandhi Bhavan and in the Congress Legislature Party was one of tension and anxiety. No sooner the information broke that the chopper was missing than panic-stricken leaders rushed to the State Congress headquarters.
Congress MLA Erasu Pratap Reddy, who represents the Srisailam constituency, where the chopper is feared to have landed, telephonically asked his party supporters in Atmakur and nearby mandals to scout for Dr. Reddy after preliminary information reached here that his helicopter had landed at Bhanumokkula in Pamulapadu in Kurnool district.
Congress sends Moily, Chavan to AP
Congress president Sonia Gandhi has asked Union Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily and Minister of State for Science & Technology Prithviraj Chavan to head for Hyderabad at the earliest to deal with the situation arising after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s helicopter went missing in the morning on Wednesday.
The Congress on Wednesday described the situation arising after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s helicopter went missing in the morning as a ``crisis’’ but pleaded ignorance about any further details.
By evening, Congress president Sonia Gandhi asked Union Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily and Minister of State for Science & Technology Prithviraj Chavan to head for Hyderabad at the earliest to deal with the situation.
While Mr. Moily has been asked to go in his capacity as the party’s general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Chavan – who holds additional charge of Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office – is going as the Centre’s representative to monitor the search operations.
The decision to send the two Ministers to Andhra Pradesh was taken in the evening; nine hours after the chopper went missing in the Nallamala forest area near Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. Other Andhra Pradesh Congress leaders including Union Minister for Urban Development S. Jaipal Reddy and V. Hanumantha Rao are also heading for Hyderabad.
Ms. Gandhi is understood to have spoken to the Chief Minister’s son, Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy – a first-time member of the Lok Sabha – during the day. After Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram briefed Ms. Gandhi in the evening about the steps being taken to find Mr. Reddy, the Congress president called an emergency meeting of her key aides – Ministers Pranab Mukherjee and A. K. Antony, and political secretary Ahmed Patel -- to take stock of the situation.
Shaken by the turn of events but keeping its hopes alive for now, the Congress refused to speak about the issue with spokesman Manish Tewari stating that the party had nothing to add to what Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister K. Roshiah had said in Hyderabad. ``It is an evolving situation. This is a sensitive situation,…. a crisis situation. We are praying for his safety. ’’
As the hours passed by, however, hope began fading in the Congress and leaders could not help remembering the party losing other dynamic leaders like Madhavrao Scindia and Rajesh Pilot in accidents. In addition, they pointed out, Mr. Reddy’s chopper went missing in a Naxal-prone dense forest area, adding to the risks in this case.
source:thehindu
The Congress on Wednesday described the situation arising after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s helicopter went missing in the morning as a ``crisis’’ but pleaded ignorance about any further details.
By evening, Congress president Sonia Gandhi asked Union Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily and Minister of State for Science & Technology Prithviraj Chavan to head for Hyderabad at the earliest to deal with the situation.
While Mr. Moily has been asked to go in his capacity as the party’s general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Chavan – who holds additional charge of Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office – is going as the Centre’s representative to monitor the search operations.
The decision to send the two Ministers to Andhra Pradesh was taken in the evening; nine hours after the chopper went missing in the Nallamala forest area near Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. Other Andhra Pradesh Congress leaders including Union Minister for Urban Development S. Jaipal Reddy and V. Hanumantha Rao are also heading for Hyderabad.
Ms. Gandhi is understood to have spoken to the Chief Minister’s son, Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy – a first-time member of the Lok Sabha – during the day. After Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram briefed Ms. Gandhi in the evening about the steps being taken to find Mr. Reddy, the Congress president called an emergency meeting of her key aides – Ministers Pranab Mukherjee and A. K. Antony, and political secretary Ahmed Patel -- to take stock of the situation.
Shaken by the turn of events but keeping its hopes alive for now, the Congress refused to speak about the issue with spokesman Manish Tewari stating that the party had nothing to add to what Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister K. Roshiah had said in Hyderabad. ``It is an evolving situation. This is a sensitive situation,…. a crisis situation. We are praying for his safety. ’’
As the hours passed by, however, hope began fading in the Congress and leaders could not help remembering the party losing other dynamic leaders like Madhavrao Scindia and Rajesh Pilot in accidents. In addition, they pointed out, Mr. Reddy’s chopper went missing in a Naxal-prone dense forest area, adding to the risks in this case.
source:thehindu
Search for YSR: focus shifts to forest areas, waterbodies
The focus of the search operations, for the helicopter carrying Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, has been shifted to forest areas and waterbodies on Wednesday evening, in cooperation with the Forest department. The forest officials carried out preliminary searches to a distance of 10 km inside the Nallamala forest. To intensify the efforts, they have engaged Chenchu tribe trackers from different spots simultaneously. They requisitioned two boats from Srisailam. The Forest Beat Officers and Chenchus will continue the search in the night in Nallamala for the chopper.
The District Collector Mr. M. K. Meena, said the epicentre of the search operations would be 30-40 km in the Atmakur, Dornala and Gundla Brahmeswaram up to Velugodu. He told TheHindu that the search operations did not find any traces of the chopper landing in the forest area till evening.
Two helicopters which made several sorties in the Nallamala forest area suspended the operations at 6 p.m. They would resume the search on Thursday. The Nallamala terrain, is inhospitable and the depth could be at least 100 metres at some places in the valley. It takes several hours and days to move from one hill to another.
Till two years ago, naxalites of the People's War were active in the forest but now are confined to a few pockets. Personnel involved in the search operations in the forest also have to encounter tigers and sloth bears.
source:the hindu
The District Collector Mr. M. K. Meena, said the epicentre of the search operations would be 30-40 km in the Atmakur, Dornala and Gundla Brahmeswaram up to Velugodu. He told TheHindu that the search operations did not find any traces of the chopper landing in the forest area till evening.
Two helicopters which made several sorties in the Nallamala forest area suspended the operations at 6 p.m. They would resume the search on Thursday. The Nallamala terrain, is inhospitable and the depth could be at least 100 metres at some places in the valley. It takes several hours and days to move from one hill to another.
Till two years ago, naxalites of the People's War were active in the forest but now are confined to a few pockets. Personnel involved in the search operations in the forest also have to encounter tigers and sloth bears.
source:the hindu
Fading light forces IAF to abort search for helicopter
The Indian Air Force (IAF) had to call off its search and rescue operations for Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s Bell helicopter late on Wednesday evening as fading light forced the IAF’s four helicopters to turn back.
The rescue operations, which are being spearheaded by the IAF’s Training Command (TC) headquartered in Bangalore, will, however, be resumed at daybreak on Thursday. The IAF has also decided to set up a control centre at Kurnool to coordinate the operations. The control centre has been necessitated because of the number of civil and military helicopters now involved in the search.
Rather curiously the IAF was informed about the missing helicopter only well past noon, a good three hours after it lost contact with Air Traffic Control, Chennai.
Once the call came, the TC-IAF swung into action, using two Chetak helicopters from the Air Force Station (AFS), Hakimpet (which is close to Hyderabad). The pilots launched their search from where the helicopter made its last radio contact. The area was charted out and the most probable location searched in a “hit and pry” method.
But bad weather forced the Chetak pilots to turn back to the AFS, Hakimpet, at 1.30 p.m. At 2 p.m. the IAF pressed into service a Russian-built Mi-8 and an Advanced Light Helicopter from Bangalore for the search operations.
Besides the bad weather and low clouds the pilots also had to contend with hilly terrain, with the ridge line in some areas going up to 2,800 feet.
Explaining the operations to The?Hindu, Air Marshal V.R. Iyer, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Training Command, IAF, said the pilots had to maintain a safety margin because of the hilly terrain and could not go down too low. Air Marshal Iyer refused to speculate on what could have happened to the Chief Minister’s helicopter. He, however, said that the chances of bad weather alone forcing the helicopter to land were rather slim.
“The pilot would have been aware of the weather conditions and could have turned back once he realised that the weather was turning bad. The aids on board the helicopter would have given the pilot ample indication of the weather that they were approaching and he could have circumvented the weather,” he explained.
According to senior helicopter pilots, the two most probable outcomes could be: the helicopter could have gone out of control because of bad weather and crashed or could have force landed/crashed after suffering a mechanical failure.
source:thehindu
The rescue operations, which are being spearheaded by the IAF’s Training Command (TC) headquartered in Bangalore, will, however, be resumed at daybreak on Thursday. The IAF has also decided to set up a control centre at Kurnool to coordinate the operations. The control centre has been necessitated because of the number of civil and military helicopters now involved in the search.
Rather curiously the IAF was informed about the missing helicopter only well past noon, a good three hours after it lost contact with Air Traffic Control, Chennai.
Once the call came, the TC-IAF swung into action, using two Chetak helicopters from the Air Force Station (AFS), Hakimpet (which is close to Hyderabad). The pilots launched their search from where the helicopter made its last radio contact. The area was charted out and the most probable location searched in a “hit and pry” method.
But bad weather forced the Chetak pilots to turn back to the AFS, Hakimpet, at 1.30 p.m. At 2 p.m. the IAF pressed into service a Russian-built Mi-8 and an Advanced Light Helicopter from Bangalore for the search operations.
Besides the bad weather and low clouds the pilots also had to contend with hilly terrain, with the ridge line in some areas going up to 2,800 feet.
Explaining the operations to The?Hindu, Air Marshal V.R. Iyer, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Training Command, IAF, said the pilots had to maintain a safety margin because of the hilly terrain and could not go down too low. Air Marshal Iyer refused to speculate on what could have happened to the Chief Minister’s helicopter. He, however, said that the chances of bad weather alone forcing the helicopter to land were rather slim.
“The pilot would have been aware of the weather conditions and could have turned back once he realised that the weather was turning bad. The aids on board the helicopter would have given the pilot ample indication of the weather that they were approaching and he could have circumvented the weather,” he explained.
According to senior helicopter pilots, the two most probable outcomes could be: the helicopter could have gone out of control because of bad weather and crashed or could have force landed/crashed after suffering a mechanical failure.
source:thehindu
Search for Chief Minister’s chopper proving a difficult task
The search for the missing helicopter, in which the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy was travelling, is focussed around roughly 300 square kilometres of Nallamala forest in Kurnool and Prakasam districts, a daunting task indeed for police teams that have fanned out into thick forest area, once a Maoist stronghold.
Large contingents of Grey Hounds, the elite anti-naxalite commando force have been rushed to Kurnool and Prakasam districts for search and rescue operation. The commandos are the most competent for the job as they are well-versed with the terrain of the forest. The main problem is the inclement weather which hampers the progress of the commando units.
The forest is spread over nearly 6,000 square kilometres and traverses through Mahabubnagar, Kurnool and Prakasam districts, which incidentally are on the flight path of the Bell-430 helicopter carrying Dr. Reddy. The search teams have narrowed down the area depending on the expectation that after being airborne for one hour, the chopper would have crossed or would have been in the vicinity of Atmakur town in Kurnool district.
What has surprised the officials is the complete radio silence from the Bell-430. Every helicopter, sources in aviation industry say, is equipped with High Frequency (HF) and Very High Frequency (VHF) sets. While HF is used for long range communication, the VHF is used for communication within 150 km. However, in the event of a crash these sets might not function if the external antennae are destroyed under the impact.
The other puzzling fact in the chopper incident is that every helicopter is expected to have an Emergency Locating Transmitter (ELT) fitted to the aircraft body, while the pilot is expected to carry a Personal Recovery Beacon (PRB). The ELT would start emitting distress signals in the event of a crash and the PRB, once activated, would start beaming the Global Positioning System (GPS) ‘latlong’ (latitude and longitude) details. This would have helped the authorities to pinpoint the location of the chopper, if it had crashed or had force-landed in an interior place.
However, no technical details are available, making it all the more difficult for the search and rescue teams, officials said.
M. Malleswara Rao adds:
Bell copter was not in active use
The Bell-430 helicopter in which Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy used for his travel to Chittoor district, was virtually dusted off from a hangar at Begumpet airport, where it had been lying, and pressed into service on Wednesday.
It was exactly one year ago that the Andhra Pradesh Government acquired a brand new AgustaWestland AW-139 helicopter from the company’s main facility in Italy for a sum of Rs 58 crore. The Bell helicopter was transferred to the AP Aviation Corporation constituted recently to undertake commercial operations and ever since confined to the hangar.
Dr. Reddy had no other option other than using the Bell 430 since the AgustaWestland helicopter was recently sent for overhaul after being in operation for one full year. The Bell-430 purchased from the US for Rs 26 crore and a six-seater, was found to be inadequate to meet the requirements as it lacked night-landing facility and often required repairs and overhaul.
On Wednesday, it was flown by a new pilot in place of the Chief Minister’s regular pilot who was drawn from Indian Air Force.
The AgustaWestland was brought to New Delhi first by a Russian cargo aircraft in August last year and flown to Hyderabad on September 15 after trials.
The team headed by Finance Minister K. Rosaiah that was monitoring the search and rescue operations said the AgustaWestland was a sturdy aircraft as it had two engines. It can seat 14 persons and has "crashworthy crew and passenger seats, airframe and fuel system". It was preferred by VIPs all over the globe for its safety standards and for its "fail-safe" design, system redundancy, damage tolerance and engine burst containment system.
Large contingents of Grey Hounds, the elite anti-naxalite commando force have been rushed to Kurnool and Prakasam districts for search and rescue operation. The commandos are the most competent for the job as they are well-versed with the terrain of the forest. The main problem is the inclement weather which hampers the progress of the commando units.
The forest is spread over nearly 6,000 square kilometres and traverses through Mahabubnagar, Kurnool and Prakasam districts, which incidentally are on the flight path of the Bell-430 helicopter carrying Dr. Reddy. The search teams have narrowed down the area depending on the expectation that after being airborne for one hour, the chopper would have crossed or would have been in the vicinity of Atmakur town in Kurnool district.
What has surprised the officials is the complete radio silence from the Bell-430. Every helicopter, sources in aviation industry say, is equipped with High Frequency (HF) and Very High Frequency (VHF) sets. While HF is used for long range communication, the VHF is used for communication within 150 km. However, in the event of a crash these sets might not function if the external antennae are destroyed under the impact.
The other puzzling fact in the chopper incident is that every helicopter is expected to have an Emergency Locating Transmitter (ELT) fitted to the aircraft body, while the pilot is expected to carry a Personal Recovery Beacon (PRB). The ELT would start emitting distress signals in the event of a crash and the PRB, once activated, would start beaming the Global Positioning System (GPS) ‘latlong’ (latitude and longitude) details. This would have helped the authorities to pinpoint the location of the chopper, if it had crashed or had force-landed in an interior place.
However, no technical details are available, making it all the more difficult for the search and rescue teams, officials said.
M. Malleswara Rao adds:
Bell copter was not in active use
The Bell-430 helicopter in which Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy used for his travel to Chittoor district, was virtually dusted off from a hangar at Begumpet airport, where it had been lying, and pressed into service on Wednesday.
It was exactly one year ago that the Andhra Pradesh Government acquired a brand new AgustaWestland AW-139 helicopter from the company’s main facility in Italy for a sum of Rs 58 crore. The Bell helicopter was transferred to the AP Aviation Corporation constituted recently to undertake commercial operations and ever since confined to the hangar.
Dr. Reddy had no other option other than using the Bell 430 since the AgustaWestland helicopter was recently sent for overhaul after being in operation for one full year. The Bell-430 purchased from the US for Rs 26 crore and a six-seater, was found to be inadequate to meet the requirements as it lacked night-landing facility and often required repairs and overhaul.
On Wednesday, it was flown by a new pilot in place of the Chief Minister’s regular pilot who was drawn from Indian Air Force.
The AgustaWestland was brought to New Delhi first by a Russian cargo aircraft in August last year and flown to Hyderabad on September 15 after trials.
The team headed by Finance Minister K. Rosaiah that was monitoring the search and rescue operations said the AgustaWestland was a sturdy aircraft as it had two engines. It can seat 14 persons and has "crashworthy crew and passenger seats, airframe and fuel system". It was preferred by VIPs all over the globe for its safety standards and for its "fail-safe" design, system redundancy, damage tolerance and engine burst containment system.
The missing helicopter: timeline
Following is a brief timeline of the helicopter carrying the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy that went missing on Wednesday.
08:35 AM: A Twin-engine Bell 430 Andhra Pradesh Government helicopter carrying the Chief Minister takes off from the old Begumpet airport.
The helicopter, also carrying Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary S Subramanyam and Chief Security Officer A. S. C. Wesley, heads for Chitoor district.
09:35 AM: The helicopter, flown by two pilots, loses contact while possibly flying over Nallamala forest ranges, a stronghold of the naxalites, in the Rayalaseema region.
The Prime Minister’s Office, the Union Home Ministry and the Defence Ministry are alerted. The Office of the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, is in touch with the State government.
Four helicopters, including three belonging to the Indian Air Force launch search operations, but no contact established because of strong winds and inclement weather.
Two helicopters from the Hakimpet air command in Secunderabad return because of inclement weather, while three from the Bangalore air command and one private helicopter from Nellore were involved in search operations.
An unmanned aerial vehicle from the Defence Ministry also pressed into service.
04:00 PM: The Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister, K. Rosaiah, at a press conference says there is no word on the Chief Minister.
Time for carrying out search operations running out as sunset approaches.
Home Minister P Chidambaram monitoring the situation from New Delhi.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi expresses concern over the disappearance of the helicopter and monitors the developments.
06.40 PM: Helicopter search stopped for the time being because of light and weather conditions: Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram
“There is no good news yet. We are keeping our fingers crossed” - Mr. Chidambaram
06.52: IAF presses into service Su-30MKI fighter aircraft with synthetic aperture radar for high resolution ground mapping in and around Kurnool to locate the missing helicopter
Source: thehindu
08:35 AM: A Twin-engine Bell 430 Andhra Pradesh Government helicopter carrying the Chief Minister takes off from the old Begumpet airport.
The helicopter, also carrying Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary S Subramanyam and Chief Security Officer A. S. C. Wesley, heads for Chitoor district.
09:35 AM: The helicopter, flown by two pilots, loses contact while possibly flying over Nallamala forest ranges, a stronghold of the naxalites, in the Rayalaseema region.
The Prime Minister’s Office, the Union Home Ministry and the Defence Ministry are alerted. The Office of the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, is in touch with the State government.
Four helicopters, including three belonging to the Indian Air Force launch search operations, but no contact established because of strong winds and inclement weather.
Two helicopters from the Hakimpet air command in Secunderabad return because of inclement weather, while three from the Bangalore air command and one private helicopter from Nellore were involved in search operations.
An unmanned aerial vehicle from the Defence Ministry also pressed into service.
04:00 PM: The Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister, K. Rosaiah, at a press conference says there is no word on the Chief Minister.
Time for carrying out search operations running out as sunset approaches.
Home Minister P Chidambaram monitoring the situation from New Delhi.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi expresses concern over the disappearance of the helicopter and monitors the developments.
06.40 PM: Helicopter search stopped for the time being because of light and weather conditions: Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram
“There is no good news yet. We are keeping our fingers crossed” - Mr. Chidambaram
06.52: IAF presses into service Su-30MKI fighter aircraft with synthetic aperture radar for high resolution ground mapping in and around Kurnool to locate the missing helicopter
Source: thehindu
Fingers crossed on YSR's fate; Helicopter search called off
The search operations by helicopters for locating Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has been called off because of light and weather conditions and will resume on Thursday morning, Home Minister P Chidambaram said here on Wednesday.
"There is no good news yet. We are keeping our fingers crossed. Our prayers are with Mr. Rajasekhara Reddy and his family," he told reporters more than nine hours after the helicopter lost the contact with the ATC at 9:35 a.m.
The helicopter has been stopped for the time being because of weather and light conditions. Tomorrow in the first light of the day, helicopters will continue the search, he said.
However, Mr. Chidambaram said the search on foot by forest and revenue officials was on around the point where they think the helicopter was last seen. Police and CRPF personnel were also moving on foot. They would reach there in an hour or so.
"I have advised the state government to continue the search even during the night with whatever light is available. Perhaps they would be able to do the search on for couple of hours," he said.
The Union Home Ministry has rushed 5,000 CRPF personnel to the area from nearby Chattisgarh and Orissa to conduct search in the area.
Andhra Pradesh police is moving towards the site where the helicopter was last seen or where the mobile signal was last found.
CRPF personnel are also moving. They will also reach the area in an hour or so. Let's hope for the best and let's pray for the best, he said.
The Home Minister was in constant touch with the senior police and district officials where the helicopter went missing.
Source: thehindu
"There is no good news yet. We are keeping our fingers crossed. Our prayers are with Mr. Rajasekhara Reddy and his family," he told reporters more than nine hours after the helicopter lost the contact with the ATC at 9:35 a.m.
The helicopter has been stopped for the time being because of weather and light conditions. Tomorrow in the first light of the day, helicopters will continue the search, he said.
However, Mr. Chidambaram said the search on foot by forest and revenue officials was on around the point where they think the helicopter was last seen. Police and CRPF personnel were also moving on foot. They would reach there in an hour or so.
"I have advised the state government to continue the search even during the night with whatever light is available. Perhaps they would be able to do the search on for couple of hours," he said.
The Union Home Ministry has rushed 5,000 CRPF personnel to the area from nearby Chattisgarh and Orissa to conduct search in the area.
Andhra Pradesh police is moving towards the site where the helicopter was last seen or where the mobile signal was last found.
CRPF personnel are also moving. They will also reach the area in an hour or so. Let's hope for the best and let's pray for the best, he said.
The Home Minister was in constant touch with the senior police and district officials where the helicopter went missing.
Source: thehindu
PM, Sonia express concern for YSR safety
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday expressed concern over the reported disappearance of a helicopter carrying Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy after it encountered inclement weather in the interior areas of the state.
Both were in close touch with the Andhra chief minister’s office and promised all help from the centre.
Six Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters were despatched in the search mission.
Source: thehindu
Both were in close touch with the Andhra chief minister’s office and promised all help from the centre.
Six Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters were despatched in the search mission.
Source: thehindu
RISAT to search for YSR
The Indian Space Research Organisation will be deploying the recently launched RISAT – 2 (radar imaging reconnaissance satellite) to search for the helicopter carrying Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy that went missing en route Chittoor at around 9 am on Wednesday morning.
G. Madhavan Nair, Chairman of ISRO told The Hindu that as most satellites do not have the capacity to see through the thick cloud cover that the area is enveloped in, the space organisation will use RISAT as well as an aircraft fitted with a high resolution camera.
“Data from RISAT will only be collected at 9.30 am on Thursday which is when the satellite’s orbit passes over the area,” Mr. Nair said. The aircraft will also be deployed in the morning.
The RISAT-2, an all-weather imaging satellite was launched on April 20.
source: thehindu
G. Madhavan Nair, Chairman of ISRO told The Hindu that as most satellites do not have the capacity to see through the thick cloud cover that the area is enveloped in, the space organisation will use RISAT as well as an aircraft fitted with a high resolution camera.
“Data from RISAT will only be collected at 9.30 am on Thursday which is when the satellite’s orbit passes over the area,” Mr. Nair said. The aircraft will also be deployed in the morning.
The RISAT-2, an all-weather imaging satellite was launched on April 20.
source: thehindu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's chopper untraceable
Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister K. Rosaiah officially broke the news that Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s helicopter remained untraceable and that several helicopters from Hyderabad, Bangalore and Nellore were scouring the Nallamala forest area in the State.
Mr. Rosaiah disclosed at a press conference after a meeting with other Ministers, Chief Secretary P. Ramakanth Reddy, Director General of Police S. S. P. Yadav that there was no radio contact with the Chief Minister's party from 9.35 a.m. on Wednesday.
Significantly, the Finance Minister and the Chief Secretary issued an appeal to the people, including the Chenchus, hill tribes of Nallamala forests, to inform the nearest police station or the forest authorities in case they came across any evidence of the Chief Minister's party.
There was poor visibility due to heavy rain making it difficult to conduct search operations. They said three Indian Air Force helicopters from Bangalore, two from Hakimpet near Hyderabad, a private helicopter from Krishnapatam Port in Nellore district and the State Government's helicopter had joined the search operations.
The Defence Ministry has been requested to press into service an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to help in locating the helicopter.
The Chief Minister's helicopter is believed to have landed in the vicinity of the dense Nallamala forest straddling five districts - Kurnool, Mahabubnagar, Prakasam, Guntur and Nalgonda. Police parties from Kurnool and Prakasam have been despatched to the Nallamala forests to take up search operations as the area is known to be prone to heavy naxalite activity.
According to Mr. R. K. Singla, Director, Airports Authority of India, Hyderabad, the Chief Minister's helicopter took off at 8.38 a.m. from Begumpet airport and, soon after, established radio contact with the nearby Shamshabad airport. It remained in contact with Shamshabad for some time before the pilot spoke to the Air Traffic Control in Chennai at 9.02 am. through high frequency radio.
The Chennai ATC asked the pilot to contact it again at 9.30 but this did not happen. However, the State Government gave a slightly different version stating that the Chief Minister's entourage was in touch with till 9.35 a.m.
Source:thehindu
S. Nagesh Kumar
K. Venkateshwarlu
Mr. Rosaiah disclosed at a press conference after a meeting with other Ministers, Chief Secretary P. Ramakanth Reddy, Director General of Police S. S. P. Yadav that there was no radio contact with the Chief Minister's party from 9.35 a.m. on Wednesday.
Significantly, the Finance Minister and the Chief Secretary issued an appeal to the people, including the Chenchus, hill tribes of Nallamala forests, to inform the nearest police station or the forest authorities in case they came across any evidence of the Chief Minister's party.
There was poor visibility due to heavy rain making it difficult to conduct search operations. They said three Indian Air Force helicopters from Bangalore, two from Hakimpet near Hyderabad, a private helicopter from Krishnapatam Port in Nellore district and the State Government's helicopter had joined the search operations.
The Defence Ministry has been requested to press into service an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to help in locating the helicopter.
The Chief Minister's helicopter is believed to have landed in the vicinity of the dense Nallamala forest straddling five districts - Kurnool, Mahabubnagar, Prakasam, Guntur and Nalgonda. Police parties from Kurnool and Prakasam have been despatched to the Nallamala forests to take up search operations as the area is known to be prone to heavy naxalite activity.
According to Mr. R. K. Singla, Director, Airports Authority of India, Hyderabad, the Chief Minister's helicopter took off at 8.38 a.m. from Begumpet airport and, soon after, established radio contact with the nearby Shamshabad airport. It remained in contact with Shamshabad for some time before the pilot spoke to the Air Traffic Control in Chennai at 9.02 am. through high frequency radio.
The Chennai ATC asked the pilot to contact it again at 9.30 but this did not happen. However, the State Government gave a slightly different version stating that the Chief Minister's entourage was in touch with till 9.35 a.m.
Source:thehindu
S. Nagesh Kumar
K. Venkateshwarlu
Andhra CM's chopper still missing, anxiety grows
HYDERABAD: Anxiety in government and Congress circles is growing even as seven helicopters, including four from the Indian Air Force, are on desperate search and rescue mission for the helicopter carrying Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, which has been missing since 9.27am on Wednesday.
The CM left Hyderabad on a six-seater Bell chopper at 8.35am for Chittoor accompanied by his secretary and chief security officer. After 9.27am, radio contact was lost with the helicopter. This was when the chopper entered the thickly forested, Naxalite-infested Nallamalla hill range.
The heavy rain and zero visibility in the Nalamlla forest, an extension of Eastern Ghats, is making the search operations difficult, officials said. Large parts of the forest are also flooded because of the overflowing Srisailam reservoir. Officials also said that the met department's predictions for the day included heavy rain and lightning.
Andhra Pradesh finance minister A Rosaiah said at a press conference that no contact has been established with the chief minister's chopper. Search and rescue operations are still on, he said. The state is coordinating with central agencies in Delhi to locate the CM's chopper. The PM's office is also in touch with the state government. Several helicopters have left for search operations, he added.
The state government has appealed to people for help and asked them to get in touch with the nearest police station if they have any information. Sources in the Congress, the chief minister's party, described the situation as grim.
Reports say state finance minister A Rosaiah will be holding another press conference with the Chief Secretary, AP government and the Director General of Police at 7pm on Wednesday.
Earlier today, confusion prevailed over the missing chopper as minister for civil aviation Praful Patel said Reddy's helicopter had been located.
source: TOI
The CM left Hyderabad on a six-seater Bell chopper at 8.35am for Chittoor accompanied by his secretary and chief security officer. After 9.27am, radio contact was lost with the helicopter. This was when the chopper entered the thickly forested, Naxalite-infested Nallamalla hill range.
The heavy rain and zero visibility in the Nalamlla forest, an extension of Eastern Ghats, is making the search operations difficult, officials said. Large parts of the forest are also flooded because of the overflowing Srisailam reservoir. Officials also said that the met department's predictions for the day included heavy rain and lightning.
Andhra Pradesh finance minister A Rosaiah said at a press conference that no contact has been established with the chief minister's chopper. Search and rescue operations are still on, he said. The state is coordinating with central agencies in Delhi to locate the CM's chopper. The PM's office is also in touch with the state government. Several helicopters have left for search operations, he added.
The state government has appealed to people for help and asked them to get in touch with the nearest police station if they have any information. Sources in the Congress, the chief minister's party, described the situation as grim.
Reports say state finance minister A Rosaiah will be holding another press conference with the Chief Secretary, AP government and the Director General of Police at 7pm on Wednesday.
Earlier today, confusion prevailed over the missing chopper as minister for civil aviation Praful Patel said Reddy's helicopter had been located.
source: TOI
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