Committee to probe Air India crash; report due in 3 months: Aviation ministry

Committee will review current standard operating procedures, identify gaps, suggest comprehensive new guidelines to prevent and handle such incidents in future

New Delhi: A high-level committee has been formed to investigate the Air India crash that killed 241 people on board, the civil aviation ministry said. The committee has been asked to publish its report within three months.

The committee will assess the emergency response of various stakeholders (both Central and State governments), including rescue operations and coordination among (Bloomberg)

Headed by the home secretary, the committee includes representatives (not below the rank of joint secretary) from the state and central governments. “A high-level multi-disciplinary committee is constituted for examining the causes leading to the crash. The committee will examine the existing standard operating procedures (SOPs) and guidelines issued to prevent and handle such occurrences and suggest comprehensive guidelines for dealing with such instances in the future,” an order issued by the civil aviation ministry read.

The order, which was issued late Saturday, said the committee “will assess contributing factors, including mechanical failure, human error, weather conditions, regulatory compliances and other reasons” to “ascertain the root cause of the crash.”

It will assess the emergency response of various stakeholders (both Central and State governments), including rescue operations and coordination among them. “The committee will examine existing guidelines regarding handling such incidents and go through records of previous such aircraft crashes in the country,” it read.

The committee will have access to all records, including, among others, flight data, cockpit voice recorders, aircraft maintenance records, air traffic control (ATC) logs, and witness testimonies. It will conduct site inspections, interview crew, air traffic controllers (ATCOs), and relevant personnel.

“The committee will not be a substitute to other enquiries being conducted by relevant organisations but will focus on formulating SOPs for preventing and handling such occurrences in the future,” the order clarified.

The order also said that the committee will recommend necessary improvements and formulate suitable SOPs to prevent such incidents in the future. These SOPs will include international best practices regarding preventing and handling such incidents.

The committee will also formulate a comprehensive SOP and suggest the roles of all agencies and organisations of the central and state governments to deal with post-crash incident handling and management. It will suggest policy changes, operational improvements, and training enhancements required to prevent such occurrences and handle post-crash incident situations.

Apart from home secretary Govind Mohan, the committee will also include the secretary or joint secretary of the home affairs ministry, the secretary of civil aviation, a representative from the Gujarat home department, a representative from the state disaster response authority, the police commissioner of Ahmedabad, the director general (DG), inspection and safety of the Indian Air Force (IAF), the DG of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, the DG of the aviation regulator — the directorate general of civil aviation, the special director of the intelligence bureau (IB), and the director of the directorate of Forensic Science Services.

The order said that the committee may also consist of any other member as deemed fit by the committee, including aviation experts, accident investigators, and legal advisors.

The government said that the committee will collaborate with international agencies if foreign nationals or aircraft manufacturers are involved.