New Delhi, Sep 3 - India's civil aviation regulator seems to be speaking in twin voices on the airworthiness of the helicopter that crashed, killing Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. A posting on its website says its certification had lapsed two years ago but a statement issued by it asserts just the opposite.

The twin-engine Bell 430 helicopter, call sign VT-APG, bore certificate of airworthiness number 2390 issued on July 6, 2006 and was valid till July 4, 2007, says the website of the Directorate General of Civilian Aviation (DGCA).

However, a DGCA statement late Wednesday said: 'The helicopter was in possession with a valid Certificate of Airworthiness No. 2390 with its validity up to 05.12.2010. It had flown for 2,812.20 Hrs since new and 325.10 Hrs from last C of A.'

On Thursday, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel asserted Thursday that despite what was posted on the DGCA website, the helicopter was airworthy.

The helicopter was registered on Jan 1, 1999 under file number 4-2/99-AI(I) and certificate number 2981 in the name of the general administration department of the Andhra Pradesh government, the DGCA website said.

Powered by two Allison 250B 40C turboprop engines, the helicopter had a seating capacity of nine, including the crew

The helicopter carrying YSR, as he was popularly called, went missing at 9.35 a.m. Wednesday, an hour after it had taken off from Hyderabad on a flight to Chittoor, 588 km away.

Its mangled remains were found at around 8.