Copter crashes raise questions on ‘control rod ‘ in gearbox

The crash of an Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) near Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, has again raised questions on metallurgical issues with a critical component, the control rod, on board the copter.

A team of the three armed forces personnel, which has been consulting with HAL, wants that a control rod which is in the gearbox and is a key component in transferring power from the two engines of the copter to its overhead rotors need to be replaced in some of the copters.