The government is likely to set up a full-fledged inquiry committee to probe the helicopter crash in Arunachal Pradesh that claimed 17 lives.
"We have suggested that an inquiry committee be set up. It is necessary to have a full-fledged committee to inquire into the accident," Directorate General of Civil Aviation chief E K Bharat Bhushan told mediapersons after returning from Tawang where he had gone to inspect the crash site.
On when the committee would be set up, he said it will not take much time as only the concurrence of Civil Aviation minister Vayalar Ravi was required. A high-level team of DGCA officials led by Bhushan had on Wednesday visited the accident site at Tawang.
On April 19, the Russian-origin MI-172 chopper -- owned by Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd (PHHL) -- took off from Guwahati for Tawang but caught fire just before it was to land at the helipad located at an altitude of 11,000 feet, bordering China's Tibet region.
There were 23 people -- 16 adults, two minors, as many pilots and three crew members -- on board. Six people, including both the pilots, survived the crash with burn injuries.
Pawan Hans operates daily helicopter services between Guwahati and Tawang and other remote locations in Arunachal Pradesh under a memorandum of understanding signed between the public sector company and the state government.
The chopper that crashed was in service for the past 14 years after being inducted in 1997.
