The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has ordered a detailed investigation into the death of an Air India Express pilot after a flight from Srinagar to Delhi on April 9, including a verification of his medical history, as well as examining if the guidelines for dealing with such emergencies need to be changed.
The investigation will be conducted under the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017, said the order issued on Thursday by DGCA director general Faiz Ahmed Kidwai. HT has seen a copy of the order.
On April 9, the 36-year-old first officer died during treatment at a hospital after he collapsed a few minutes after landing Flight IX-1153 from Srinagar to Delhi. Soon after the incident, a group of pilots alleged in the media that the situation was poorly handled and that the deceased pilot was fatigued.
Kidwai has appointed deputy director of Air Safety, Vishal Yadav, as the investigator-in-charge, and Group Capt Murtaza, Director of Medical Services (Counter Air), as subject matter expert and member for carrying out the investigation.
Kidwai has asked the team to investigate whether the crew reported any sickness to air traffic control (ATC) while in the air and, if so, whether the ATC initiated appropriate action.
{{/usCountry}}Kidwai has asked the team to investigate whether the crew reported any sickness to air traffic control (ATC) while in the air and, if so, whether the ATC initiated appropriate action.
{{/usCountry}}The team will also check the medical history of the deceased crew member and whether the airline took due precautions while rostering (or scheduling) the crew member with flying restrictions.
The DG further directed the team to investigate whether any specific medical checks are required for such pilots before undertaking flights, and whether fellow crew members took appropriate action when the co-pilot reported feeling unwell. To be sure, medical examination of pilots with pre-existing medical conditions are done by a team of the Air Force.
The DGCA team has also been asked to assess the preparedness of the airport’s medical centre in handling such emergencies. “...examine the existing guidelines/circulars in this regard and suggest changes if needed,” the order stated.
The order asked the team to submit the final investigation report as early as possible, preferably within a period of six months.
The deceased pilot was last assessed by the Indian Air Force medical team in January this year, under the norms, and declared fit to fly, but his flying licence did not permit him to operate without an experienced pilot, people cited above said.