New Delhi: A high-level investigation into the AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad is ongoing. Former Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Sanat Kaul, revealed on Friday that the civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), had sent multiple warnings to Air India regarding inadequate safety inspections and significant lapses.
Kaul suggested that potential oversights by Air India personnel responsible for safety checks and inadequate enforcement of regulatory standards could have contributed to the tragedy, which claimed the lives of all 241 individuals aboard the aircraft. “The DGCA had communicated several times with Air India, highlighting various safety issues, including improper inspections,” he stated. “This raises questions about the maintenance procedures Air India followed.”
He further noted concerns regarding “line maintenance,” which entails the routine checks performed by inspectors prior to each flight. The effectiveness of these checks is currently under scrutiny. Line maintenance typically involves maintenance and repair tasks carried out on aircraft between flights or during brief layovers.
Kaul emphasized that civil aviation safety falls under the DGCA’s purview, an independent regulatory body operating under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. While the country has a comprehensive regulatory framework, he questioned its real-world applicability: “In such an extensive system, if any lapses occurred, the investigation will determine which airline or area was involved.”
His remarks come as experts from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), Boeing, and UK authorities have commenced an investigation into the crash. Investigators are focusing on analyzing data from the aircraft’s black box to ascertain the cause of a suspected engine failure shortly before the disaster.
This incident is considered the first major aviation disaster in a decade involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, occurring when the London-bound aircraft reached an altitude of 625 feet and ceased transmitting signals to the flight tracking system. Just before the aircraft’s descent at a vertical speed of 475 feet per minute, the pilots issued a Mayday call to Ahmedabad airport’s air traffic control.
Original Source: https://www.sentinelassam.com/topheadlines/dgca-wrote-to-air-india-pointing-out-safety-lapses-sanat-kaul
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Publish Date: 2025-06-14 05:42:00
