DGCA officials inspect the debris of the BSF chopper in Kolad on Thursday. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, Oct. 20: A two-member team from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that inspected the crash site in the Kolad forests today is understood to have noted that the ill-fated chopper was flying at 1200 metre, a height at which it would be safe from a ground attack.

Sunit Kumar, who is regional controller of air safety for the eastern and north eastern regions, and has been named in-charge of the investigation of yesterday’s Dhruv crash that killed all three of its crew members, refused to elaborate on their findings.

But sources close to the investigating team, that included DGCA’s senior safety officer H.N. Mishra, claimed they had come to the conclusion that the chopper was flying at that height, given that it had flown for about 11 minutes only.

“At that height it cannot be targeted with a rocket launcher or other firearms,” the source maintained.

These initial findings were in sync with what sources in the Union ministry of home affairs had indicated yesterday. Within about 11 to 12 minutes, the aircraft was expected to reach a height of at least 3,000 feet (914 metre). “There was no mischief from below,” said a senior home ministry official in New Delhi.

Under the protective cover of personnel of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Jharkhand Jaguar and India Reserve Battalion, the team reached the wreckage site at Katalhessa, about 40 km from Ranchi, around 9 am.

Both Kumar and Mishra trekked through the forests, climbed hillocks and crossed paddy fields to inspect the wreckage of the Advanced Light Helicopter strewn over a radius of half a kilometre.

They collected evidence, took notes, clicked photographs and spoke to eyewitnesses, including one Haloo Munda, a resident of Katalhessa, who saw the crash while returning to his village after selling wood.

His statement, given in the local Mundari language, was recorded after BSF commander in Ranchi Joseph Kerketta interpreted it for the team.

A chowkidar of Maraburu village, Sunder Swansi, met the investigators on his own and claimed to have spotted a piece of wreckage 4-km east of his village. Kumar asked Sharma to go with him and look into it, but they couldn’t find it.

Later, Swansi was taken to Namkum police station to register an FIR about the missing chopper part.

Officials of other agencies were also present at the spot today. Apart from Kerketta, BSF was represented by wing commander A.K.Yadav. Pawan Hans Chopper Ltd had sent GM (operations) Alok Kumar, a retired IAF commodore, and two others. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, the licensed manufacturers of Dhruv, had sent in their officials, namely S. Pandit, B.Ravi and Bedi Kang.

None of them was willing to talk. “I have come for an investigation. I am not supposed to talk to the media,” Kumar said when approached.

But sources close to the team clarified nothing concrete would emerge unless the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder were decoded. A first report, they added, could take at least two months.

“The investigating team will send the black box to Bangalore to download its data. Once the data is studied, the team will be able to reach some sort of a conclusion,” said the source.

Before leaving Katalhessa, DGCA officials told the police to take charge of the debris and ensure no pilferage.