AIE flight mishap report sheds light on serious safety concerns

The rescue operations after the Air India Express flight crash at Kozhikode International Airport in Kerala last year received much appreciation owing to the involvement of local people. But now there are reasons to raise eyebrows over the rescue operations, as the investigation report into the crash pointed out that the airport fire and rescue crew engaged in the rescue operation lacked skills even to open the cockpit emergency exit door.

Several such serious safety lapses and non-compliance of recommendations of a similar mishap at Mangaluru in 2012 have been highlighted in the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's investigation report on the Boeing 737-800 aircraft crash at Kozhikode on August 7. There were even attempts to suppress the lapses.

The crash of the flight from Dubai under the Vande Bharat Mission claimed 21 lives and injured 165, many of whom are yet to recover completely.

Aviation sector sources said that while non-adherence of SOP by the pilot have been highlighted as the probable cause for the flight crash, the investigation team headed by Captain S S Chahar, a formerly designated examiner, also highlights several other lapses like the lack of adequate training of the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) personnel.

According to the investigation report, it was found that the ARFF personnel at the airport had not undergone aircraft familiarisation training on B737 aircraft and were not aware of how to open the cockpit emergency exit door. It is evident from the statement of witnesses and personnel involved in the fire and rescue activity that considerable effort and time were spent to gain access to the cockpit for rescuing the pilots, the report says.

The report also points fingers at an attempt to mislead the investigation. The head of the fire department, as well as the ARFF crew, told the investigation team that no familiarisation training for ARFF personnel was given. However, records of Aircraft Familiarisation Training were later provided to the investigation team stating that training was being regularly conducted over the years. This is contrary to the written statements and depositions by the head of the fire department and fire crew earlier, the report says.

The investigation team also pointed out that the Kozhikode and Mangalore airports that share similar weather phenomena, topography and operational constraints were still not having Runway Centreline Lights despite many earlier accidents and incidents, including the 2012 mishap at Mangalore.

Kozhikode International Airport director R Mahalingam told DH that the recommendations of the investigation report were being implemented. Operation of wide-bodied aircraft to Kozhikode, which was suspended following the mishap, might be restored only after fulfiling the requirements.

However, land acquisition for the expansion of the airport is still unresolved due to differences between the AAI and the local people.

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