30 a.m. Thursday morning on a hillock 40 nautical miles east of Kurnool, 200 km from Hyderabad. Four others were also killed in the crash.

Civil aviation sources here had told IANS Wednesday that the helicopter was not airworthy and was pulled out of the chief minister's use last year after the state purchased a new Italian chopper.

On Thursday, another civil aviation official said the helicopter was not only airworthy but also had a good flying record.

'It has been used by the Andhra Pradesh government and for commuting chief ministers for the last 10 years. It had a good track record and was well maintained,' the official told IANS.

The state government, according to the official, used the Bell 430 chopper even as it purchased a new Italian chopper Agusta AW 139 for the chief minister. 'This was done because the Bell 430 was airworthy,' he added.

Reacting to the crash, a senior pilot who served state-owned Pawan Hans for over 20 years, said the Bell 430 is 'an excellent flying machine' but at the same time, had limitations.

'It lacks night-landing capability,' he pointed out.

The Agusta AW 139 was put into service in November last year, the sources said.

Soon afterward, the Bell 430 was handed over to the Andhra Pradesh Aviation Corp for commercial operations. According to one official, the police in Andhra Pradesh were now using the chopper.