E-Paper
Who are part of the 5-member AAIB panel leading probe into AI-171 crash
AAIB's five-member team, led by Sanjay Kumar Singh, investigates the June 12 Air India crash in Ahmedabad that killed 260.
The five-member Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team that probed into the June 12 fatal Air India accident in Ahmedabad, which claimed at least 260 lives, is headed by the agency’s director Sanjay Kumar Singh, the bureau has revealed, as it released the list of officers that investigated one of the worst air disasters in decades.
On June 12, the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner began to lose thrust almost immediately after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport and ploughed into a medical college hostel, killing all but one of the 242 onboard and another 19 on the ground in the deadliest aviation accident in a decade. In a preliminary report released late on Friday night, AAIB said the aircraft took off at 08:08:39 UTC (13:38:39 IST) and at about 08:09:05 UTC (13:39:05 IST) one of the pilots transmitted ‘MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY’.
Soon after the incident, AAIB director general GVG Yugandhar appointed a five-member panel to probe the incident. Besides Sanjay Kumar Singh, who was appointed the investigator-in-charge, other members on the probe panel were Jasbir Singh Larhga, Vipin Venu Varakoth, Veeraragavan K, and Vaishnav Vijayakumar. A brief profile of these officials:
Sanjay Kumar Singh
Currently serving as a director at AAIB, Singh has a 15-year experience in aircraft accident investigation and aviation safety. At 56, Singh has managed investigations into 15 accidents or serious incidents and has overseen the classification of at least 300 reported occurrences.
Singh holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering with a specialisation in aeronautical engineering, along with an MBA. His LinkedIn profile notes over 25 years of experience in consulting, advisory, and operational roles related to Air Force assets.
Jasbir Singh Larhga
Associated with AAIB for over a decade, Larhga has played key roles in numerous aircraft accident probe, including the 2020 Kozhikode Air India Express crash. His career also includes tenures at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aviation regulator, as well with Pawan Hans and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.
At AAIB and DGCA, Larhga has contributed to investigations into incidents such as the Jet Airways runway excursion in Goa in 2016 and the Air India Express taxiway incident at Mangalore Airport in 2019. He was a chief investigator in the June 12 Air India crash. A senior official described him as efficient and diligent during his regulatory tenure.
Vipin Venu Varakoth
Currently posted as an assistant director of air safety at the DGCA’s Mumbai office, a post he held for over seven years, Varakoth has over 15-year experience with the aviation regulator. According to his LinkedIn profile, he earlier served as an air safety officer for nearly the same duration as his current position.
Veeraragavan K
A colleague of Varakoth’s at the DGCA’s Mumbai office, Veeraragavan has been posted as an assistant director of air safety for close to four years. Before this, he was posted in Delhi as an air safety officer for nine years. His professional experience includes a brief stint as an analysis engineer at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Chennai.
Vaishnav Vijayakumar
A serving air safety officer at DGCA, Vaishnav Vijaykumar has been involved in multiple investigations pertaining to aircraft accidents and other serious incidents involving the aviation sector.
