Lok Sabha Speaker G.M.C. Balayogi died in a helicopter crash in Andhra Pradesh’s Krishna district on Sunday morning. His body will be flown to Delhi on Monday. The funeral is scheduled for Wednesday at Mummidivaram, Balayogl’s hometown.
Balayogi had gone for a religious meeting in Bhimavaram in East Godavari district. He was to have returned to Secunderabad by train, but.at the last moment, decided to fly instead.
The Bell helicopter belonging to Deccan Aviation took off from Bhimavaram at 7.45 a.m. Some twenty minutes into the flight, it began to lose height. As it plunged, the rotor hit the crown of one of the many coconut palms in the area, said villagers who saw the crash from the ground at Kovvadalanka village in Mandavalli mandal, 100 km from Vijayawada. The machine came down with a loud sound beside a fish farm.
The Speaker, his security officer D. Satya Raju and pilot Capt. G.B. Menon were killed on the spot. The badly burnt bodies were initially taken to Eluru government hospital. In the afternoon, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, accompanied by TDP parliamentary party leader K. Yerran Naidu, brought the body to Hyderabad.
Balayogi had travelled to Bhimavaram in coastal Andhra Pradesh on Saturday to participate in the Millenium Peace Festival organised by evangelist K.A. Paul of Global Peace initiative. Mike Huckabee, governor of the US state of Arkansas. was present at the festival. Balayogi was scheduled to board the Visakha Express from nearby Nidadavolu late at night, but apparently changed his mind after being told that a helicopter chartered by the programme organisers would return to Hyderabad on Sunday morning.
{{/usCountry}}Balayogi had travelled to Bhimavaram in coastal Andhra Pradesh on Saturday to participate in the Millenium Peace Festival organised by evangelist K.A. Paul of Global Peace initiative. Mike Huckabee, governor of the US state of Arkansas. was present at the festival. Balayogi was scheduled to board the Visakha Express from nearby Nidadavolu late at night, but apparently changed his mind after being told that a helicopter chartered by the programme organisers would return to Hyderabad on Sunday morning.
{{/usCountry}}The Union Cabinet at a special meeting in New Delhi described Balayogi as a “democrat to the core”. He “scrupulously upheld democratic and parliamentary traditions in all circumstances”, a resolution adopted at the meeting presided by the Prime Minister said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan later told reporters Atal Bihari Vajpayee would go to Andhra Pradesh on Sunday evening or on Monday.
Balayogi’s body will be kept in Parliament House from 8 a.m. to 10.45 a.m. A two-day national mourning has been announced. The national flag will fly at half-mast and there will be no official entertainment, home ministry sources in New Delhi said. On Monday, Parliament will adjourn after paying respects to the Speaker. Balayogi is the first Speaker of the House to have died in harness.
KEY QUESTIONS
Was visibility poor?
By the rules, no. Required visibility is 5 km; 1.5 km for experienced pilot in reliable aircraft. Weather was good at destination.
Who gave the nod?
Bhimavaram is not a controlled airfield. The pilot cleared flight plan by phone. The responsibility for acting on en route weather data lay with him.
Was the chopper airworthy?
Yes, says operator Deccan Aviation. It had been marked excellent in a safety audit six months ago. The company had a crash-free record.