DGCA ‘clean chit’ to Panda on chopper

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Bhubaneswar: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has said the allegation that former Lok Sabha MP Baijayant Panda had dangerously flown a helicopter over Chilika Lake could not be established and there was no violation of rules.
Panda, an industrialist-turned politician who quit the ruling BJD in May following his suspension for “anti-party activities”, described this as “total clean chit” by the DGCA.
Panda’s chopper was seized by the police September 17 for allegedly flying over Chilika, an eco-sensitive zone in the state.
“Based on fact and evidence, it could not be established that the helicopter has flown dangerously below the assigned altitude or have landed at Chilika Lake September 15, 2018,” the DGCA said in a letter to the BPIA director. The investigation concluded that there was no violation of DGCA rules and regulations, said the letter dated October 25 by M J Singh, Director Air Safety of the DGCA. No significant deviation in the flight plan timings was observed, said the letter.
Panda tweeted, “Total clean chit by DGCA on Odisha Govt’s cooked up case against me & my helicopter flying, & sealing a hangar at Biju Patnaik Airport, Bhubaneswar for the past 1.5 months, immobilising 3 choppers (incl 2 against which thr were no allegations whatsoever)!”