India: ONGC Likely to Bar Top Executives from Flying Together in Choppers

After losing key executives in a helicopter crash recently, Oil and Natural Gas Corp. (ONGC) is said to be considering steps to prevent senior management from flying together in the same chopper. The company lost five key operational personnel when a Pawan Hans helicopter crashed in the Arabian Sea in January. ONGC is said to be considering following the example of several companies the world over who have a policy of not allowing more than two senior executives flying together.

When on January 13 a Dauphin N3 helicopter, operated by Pawan Hans, crashed off the Mumbai coast, ONGC lost topline operational in-charges of its key Mumbai High oil and gas fields. Two pilots ferrying them to an offshore oil and gas facility were also killed in the accident, the cause of which is still being investigated.

ONGC lost installation/location managers and maintenance in-charges of Mumbai High North, NQ and Water Injection North (WIN) platforms in the accident. A sixth key operational executive had dropped out of the ill-fated flight at the last moment due to ill health. Any oil and gas field of ONGC is headed by the asset manager and installation or location managers are just below him.

ONGC has reportedly engaged an expert team from the Rotary Wing Society of India (RWSI) to carry out a thorough audit of all helicopter operations of the company and submit a report on maintenance practices, operational procedures and safety issues.