DGCA begins probe into crash of Asaram Bapu's 'copter

The Director General of Civil Aviation has initiated a probe into the crash-landing of the chopper at Godhra on Wednesday, in which spiritual guru Asaram Bapu and four others were travelling and had a narrow escape.

A DGCA team from Mumbai has reached the spot to conduct a probe into the crash-landing of the chopper, official sources said.

Capt Ravindra Singh, who was piloting the chopper, told reporters that just before the landing, the helicopter had started sinking.

"In that case I decided to apply more power for a fair landing, as my main concern was the safety of passengers. All this happened in just three seconds. It was a controlled landing. But as the soil on which it landed was slippery, the chopper skidded and lay tilted on the ground," he said.

Asaram Bapu and four others in the chopper were rescued by his followers after breaking glass of the helicopter. They had sustained minor injuries in the incident, eyewitnesses said.

Asaram Bapu, while addressing a religious gathering said, "I have been saved by the power of mantra. People say in case of an accident its the fault of the driver, but the facts behind this mishap are something else. People who understand, can draw inference from what I am saying," he said.