Air India crash: Centre's probe panel to submit report in 3 months, says minister

Pune: A high-level multi-disciplinary committee formed by the Centre to investigate the Ahmedabad Air India plane crash will submit its report within three months, Union minister Murlidhar Mohol said on Tuesday.

The Air India operates 34 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The safety checks of 12 of them have been done and no issue has been found so far, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation told reporters here.

He also expressed hope that an analysis of the plane's black box data will provide clues about the cause of the crash.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft (AI171) with 230 passengers and 12 crew members crashed into the complex of a medical college moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on June 12.

One person survived the crash, while 241 on board and 29 on the ground were killed, as per officials.

The Centre on Saturday set up a high-level multi-disciplinary panel to ascertain the "root cause" of the crash of the London-bound Air India plane in Ahmedabad and assess any contributing factors including mechanical failure, human error and regulatory compliances.

The panel headed by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan will not be a substitute to other probes being conducted by relevant organisations, the Civil Aviation Ministry had said.

Asked about the probe status, Mohol said, "The investigation is underway and several small details will be investigated. Many things will come to light after downloading the 'black box'. A committee has been appointed under the chairmanship of the Union Home Secretary to investigate the matter. The report will be submitted within three months." The doomed aircraft’s black box--which includes the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder--has already been recovered and may hold vital clues to understanding what led to the disaster.

Mohol said, "The Air India operates a total of 34 Dreamliner aircraft. Orders have been given to inspect and investigate all the 34 carriers. Of them, 10 to 12 carriers have been inspected so far and no issue has been found in them yet." The minister also said that hospital authorities in Ahmedabad have collected 270 DNA samples and 70 to 80 bodies have been handed over to their relatives.

Probe agencies were looking into all possible causes for the crash, including loss of thrust in both engines of the aircraft, multiple bird strikes, or a potential wing flap issue.

The high-level panel, chaired by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, has deliberated on various possibilities that could have led to the Ahmedabad crash at its first meeting in Delhi, sources said on Monday.

The panel heard the opinion of various stake-holders about the possible causes and deliberated on steps to be taken to check future occurrence of such accidents by formulating Standard Operating Procedures(SOPs).

Since a separate investigation is also being carried out by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is looking into the technical aspects of the crash, the panel discussed about the possible causes and lesson to be taken from it, the sources said.

The United States' National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has also launched a parallel probe into the crash, drawing several international experts to the accident site.

The NTSB is conducting a parallel probe under international protocols, as the aircraft is American-made, an official release earlier said.

It is an independent federal agency of the US tasked with investigating every civil aviation accident. They determine the probable causes of accidents and events and investigate and issue safety recommendations aimed at preventing future occurrences.