1.

Responsible authority

1.1.

The Search & Rescue service in India is organized in accordance with the Standards and Recommended Practices of ICAO Annex 12 by the Airports Authority of India in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence, which has the responsibility for making the necessary facilities available. The postal and telegraphic address of Airports Authority of India is given in Gen 1.1.

2.

Area of responsibility

2.1.

The Search & Rescue service is responsible for entire India territory including territorial waters as well as airspace over high-seas encompassed by Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai FIRs.

3.

Types of Service

3.1.

Details of the Rescue Coordination Centers and related Rescue Units are given in page GEN 3.6-2 to GEN 3.6-7. In addition, various other departments of the Central and State Governments such as Railways, Post & Telegraph, All India Radio, Police and District Collectors/Magistrates, Municipal and Local bodies, Airline operators, Flying clubs, Professional pilots, Mercantile marine, Port Trust and Armed Forces are available for search and rescue missions when required.

3.2.

Satellite aided Search and Rescue

3.2.1.

India has evolved a Satellite-aided Search and Rescue programme participation in the COSPAS/SARSAT systems. It operates on 406MHz. Location accuracy is normally within 5Km. The system will detect transmissions on this frequency throughout the Indian Search and Rescue Region (SRR) and also SRR of Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Tanzania.

3.2.2.

Under this programme Local User Terminals (LUT) have been established at Bangalore and Lucknow. Indian Mission Control Centre (INMCC) at Bangalore is responsible for coordinating with Rescue Coordination Centres and other International mission Control Centres.

3.2.3.

INMCC at Bangalore is connected with RCCs at Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata & Mumbai through AFS network and any distress alert received for the areas covered is automatically transmitted to the concerned RCC.

4.

SAR agreements

4.1.

At present India has no SAR agreement with other countries.

4.2.

India can seek SAR assistance from adjoining RCCs of other nations in accordance with the bi-lateral agreement.

4.3.

For the purpose of SAR, the authorities of the other State who wish their SAR units to enter the territory of India shall transmit a request, giving full details of the projected missions and the need for it to -

The Director General of Civil Aviation,

DGCA Complex,

Opposite Safdarjung Airport,

New Delhi - 110003

Telephone:             91-11-2462 2495

Fax:                      91-11-2462 8922

AFS:                     VIDDYAYG

Email:                    dat@dgca.nic.in

Website:                www.dgca.nic.in

5.

Applicable ICAO documents

i) Annex 12 - Search and Rescue

ii) Annex 13 - Aircraft Accident Investigation

iii) Doc 7030 - Regional Supplementary Procedures for Alerting and SAR services applicable in the South-East Asia region

6.

Rescue Coordination Centre - Chennai RCC

7.

Rescue Coordination Centre - Delhi RCC

8.

Rescue Coordination Centre - Kolkata RCC

9.

Rescue Coordination Centre - Mumbai RCC

10.

Procedures and signals used

10.1.

Procedures and signals used by aircraft

10.1.1.

Procedures for pilot-in-command observing an accident intercepting a distress message are outlined in ICAO Annex 12, Chapter 5.

10.1.2.

Ditching report requested by aircraft about to ditch, are given in accordance with the established procedures.

10.2.

Communications

10.2.1.

Transmission and reception of distress messages within the India SAR area are handled in accordance with ICAO Annex 0, Volume II, Chapter 5.

10.2.2.

For communications during SAR operations, the codes and abbreviations published in ICAO Code and Abbreviations (Doc 8400) are used.

10.2.3.

Information concerning position, call sign, frequencies and hours of operation of Indian aeronautical station is published in section ENR2 and AD2

10.2.4.

The frequency 121.5MHz is guarded continuously during their hours of operation at all Area Control Centre (ACC) and Flight Information Centre (FIC). Other aeronautical stations, on request, will guard this frequency. All Coastal Stations guard the international distress frequencies.

10.2.5.

Rescue aircraft belonging to permanent SAR units use the call-sign ZIGZAG. If more than one aircraft is engaged in SAR duties, a serial number is added to the basic call-sign ZIGZAG.

10.3.

SAR Signals

10.3.1.

The SAR signals to be used are those prescribed in Annex 12, Chapter 5, paragraph 5.10

10.3.2.

Ground/Air visual signal codes for use by survivors

11.

Forced landing

11.1

In India, the Flight Information Centres act as Rescue Coordination Centres, in addition to their other functions. When an aircraft is reported or when it is known to have forced landed. The RCC will immediately take action to notify all those who could usefully assist in the SAR operations and will coordinate their actions.

11.2.

To enable the RCC to act promptly, it would require information as soon as an aircraft is in distress. While their may not be any difficulty in obtaining such information through the Air Traffic Services in respect of aircraft fitted with suitable tow-way communication facilities. Certain difficulties may arise in respect of aircraft not fitted with such facilities. The RCC will then have to depend entirely on the information which it may receive of the forced landing either from the pilot or from other sources such as Army units, Police outpost, Railway or District authorities.

11.3

When a pilot, who has forced landed reports the occurrence or request assistance, he should give precise information in the telegram or telephone message with regard to the position of aircraft. This position should be reported true bearing and distance from the nearest railway station with further reference to geographical coordinates and any other local points of reference. Reference to the name of the village is not sufficient, since many villages are not marked on the 1: 1 million scale map.

11.4.

Pilots are reminded that, after a forced landing away from an aerodrome, the aircraft will probably surrounded by an inquisitive crowd. The majority of whom may have never seen an aeroplane at such a close quarters. The pilot should therefore obtain assistance from the nearest police station for guarding the aircraft.

11.5.

When aircraft is to be flown out, every possible precaution must be taken to keep the path clear before taxing and when opening-up for take-off. The direction in which the aircraft will move and danger of obstruction in its path must be clearly explained to all the onlookers. A responsible person should be selected from the crowd to keep the people under control.