Following the Lobuche helicopter crash, the regulatory body, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, has implemented four new safety standards.
What you should know
Following the helicopter accident in the Lobuche area, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has issued strict safety recommendations and standards targeting all helicopter service providers across the country.
According to Gyanendra Bhul, the NCA's joint spokesperson, on Thursday, the NCA decided to implement the new safety measures in a discussion with pilots, operators and representatives of all helicopter companies in Nepal, keeping in mind the risks shown by recent incidents and the increasing helicopter activity in the high Himalayan region.
The regulatory body, the NCA, has banned commercial flights in white-out or fog.
An Altitude Air helicopter crashed in Lobuche, near the Everest base camp, on Wednesday. The helicopter, which was going to pick up foreign tourists from Lukla, skidded on snow while landing at the Lobuche helipad.
Following the incident, the NCA has directed not to operate any commercial flights during the thick fog that occurs during white-out. In such weather, visibility is extremely poor, making it difficult for helicopter pilots to accurately identify the flight direction, geographical location, and landing site. This poses a serious risk to pilots, passengers, and the safety of the entire aviation industry, so flights are completely prohibited in such conditions.
Similarly, helicopters will have to be placed on skids (bear pauses) in snowy areas. It has been decided to install bear pauses (safety plates) on the skids of all helicopters operating in snowy or slippery mountainous areas.
This device helps distribute the weight of the helicopter evenly when landing on snow, which reduces the possibility of the helicopter slipping, sliding, becoming unbalanced, or overturning. It has been declared as a mandatory safety device to reduce accidents during the winter season.
Similarly, the provision of ground marshallers has also been made mandatory for the grain operator in high-mountain flights. For the safety of helicopter flights that are frequent in high altitude areas, especially in tourist areas like Sagarmatha, Annapurna, Mustang, and Manang, it has been recommended to assign a ground marshal (landing assistant) to each flight.
The marshal helps in coordinating between the pilot and the ground during landing and takeoff, ensuring the safe movement of passengers, and managing hazardous objects on the ground. The authority has stated that this step is expected to streamline the chaotic operations in the high mountainous areas and reduce human error.
Similarly, helipads covered in snow should be operated only after being completely cleared. It has been arranged that no flight should be operated if there is snow or fallen objects in the helipad area.
Before the flight, the helipad and the entire area around it should be completely cleared and stabilized, otherwise there is a risk of debris hitting the rotor blades of the helicopter, air imbalance, or loss of helicopter control.
All these standards were formally sent to helicopter companies Air Dynasty Heli Service, Altitude Air, Annapurna Helicopters, Fishtail Air, Heli Everest, Kailash Helicopters, Manang Air, Mountain Helicopters, Mustang Helicopters, Prabhu Helicopters, Shree Airlines and Simrik Air on Thursday.
Joint Spokesperson Bhul said that only strict adherence to safety rules can ensure the reliability of Himalayan flights and the safety of passengers.
