New Delhi, September 24 (PTI) The Indian Federation of Pilots (FIP) has urged the government to order a judicial investigation into the crash of Air India Dreamliner, which killed 260 people, claiming that the ongoing investigation is “compromising”.
The FIP request comes less than a month after Pushkaraj Sabharwal, father of Sumeet Sabharwal's greatest taint, one of the pilots of the unlucky Air India plane, called for a formal investigation by the central government, even as an investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
“Flawed domestic investigations compromise India's position in the global aviation community. Therefore, judicial investigations are not only a matter of justice, but also the mechanisms needed by the ministry to cure these deep procedural flaws and reduce their own legal and reputational exposure.”
Unlike the private administrative process of AAIB, courts can force testimony under oath, issue subpoenas and request the production of all documents from any party, including international manufacturers such as Boeing and General Electric.
Questions submitted to the Ministry for comment on the letter did not elicit an immediate response.
Meanwhile, on September 22, the Supreme Court bench issued a notice to the Centre and the Civil Aviation Authority (DGCA) about an independent, fair and prompt investigation aspect of the crash, as it said elements of the victim's family's privacy and dignity were involved.
The move came during a hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an independent court-supervised investigation into the accident.
FIP says we should learn and act on the true, systematic, and unpleasant lessons of this tragedy.
“A biased investigation that compromised the simple and convenient “pilot error” narrative by default is the single biggest threat to achieving that goal. Underlying dangers – Whether design, maintenance or surveillance, it ensures that it remains hidden only for re-registering for future catastrophes.
One of India's worst aircraft accidents killed a total of 260 people, including 241 passengers, after taking off from Ahmedabad on June 12, after crashing shortly after Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft AI171 was driven to London Gatwick.
According to FIP, the circumstances surrounding the investigation of AI 171 have made the Constitution of the Inquiry Court of Inquiry not merely “convenient” but rather an absolute and urgent need.
“The complete breakdown of trust, the manifestation bias demonstrated by the AAIB, the public hysteria fueled by illegal leaks, and the magnitude of this national tragedy are exactly the conditions under which this provision was created,” the pilot group said in a letter.
While arguing that there is overwhelming evidence of a compromised investigation, FIP said the central government should immediately form an “investigation court” under Rule 12 of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Cases) Rules in 2017, and that the AAIB investigation must be formally suspended.
In the letter, the Pilot Association also mentioned Pushkaraj Sabalwar's request for a formal investigation into the accident and emails from his side claiming that AAIB officials visited his residence on August 30, making speculative statements during the interaction that his son moved the fuel control switch after avoiding the fuel control switch.
In a preliminary report released on July 12, AAIB said that fuel supply to both the aircraft's engines would be cut off within a one-second gap, causing confusion in the cockpit immediately after takeoff. “In the audio recordings of the cockpit, one of the pilots hears asking the other people why he was cut off. The other pilots responded that they didn't.”
On September 22, the Supreme Court was called “Unfortunate and Irresponsible,” and called the selective publication of a preliminary report on the June 12 Air India Crash crash, outlined the lapse on the part of the pilot and outlined how it was paved for the “Media Stories.”
