Air crash: A case of lessons not learnt?

The tragic crash of an Air India Boeing 737 aircraft on Friday at Kozhikode airport in which 18 people, including the pilot and the co-pilot, lost their lives again brings to the fore issues of aviation safety when the country is planning to give a push to the sector by building more airports and starting more services. The aircraft, which carried 191 passengers, was on a Vande Bharat mission from Dubai, and the fact that the passengers were returning home to save their lives adds to the poignancy of the accident. Some of the passengers are being treated for serious injuries but most were lucky to survive, thanks to many factors. Though the aircraft overshot the runway of the tabletop airport, plunged 35-40 feet into a ditch and broke into three, it did not catch fire, probably because the pilot had exhausted the fuel, trying to land in inclement weather, or ejected it anticipating a crash, apparently, after the aircraft’s landing gear did not work.

Various theories have been put forward to explain the mishap. The Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated an investigation, but it will take a while before the cause is identified and the result made public. The aircraft tried to land when it was raining and visibility was poor. There may be questions about the working of the systems that aid and facilitate landing, and an error on the part of the pilot has also not been ruled out. Comparisons with another air crash in 2010 at Mangaluru airport, which also has a tabletop runway, are inevitable. A runway end safety area (RESA) of 250 m was built at both ends of the Mangaluru airport after the accident but the RESA in Kozhikode is only 90 m long. It has been noted that the proposal to extend the runway at Kozhikode has not been implemented even after 10 years. Questions have also been raised about the continued use of the airport and the runway when the reasons for the crash have not been identified. The continuing heavy rainfall in the area has added to the concern. The crash should prompt the authorities to re-evaluate air safety measures not only in Kozhikode but in all other airports and take remedial measures wherever necessary.

The casualties would have been much higher if the local residents had not rushed to the crash site immediately and launched rescue operations, ignoring the fact that some passengers could be Covid-19 carriers. They also transported many injured persons to nearby hospitals. The civil aviation ministry has praised their efforts, and they deserve the nation’s commendation.