Air India plane crash: Lead investigator yet to be appointed; experts warn of systemic delays
Nearly two weeks after the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad that killed 274 people, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is yet to officially appoint a lead investigator to head the probe, raising serious concerns over the efficiency and credibility of the investigation process.
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) norms require that an investigator-in-charge be named immediately, with a preliminary report submitted within 30 days of an accident, as per Annex 13 guidelines.
However, despite internal discussions, no formal government order has been issued so far to enable the appointed lead to commence work.
Sources cited by ET said that Dhruv Rebbapragada, former South Asia regional safety director at Airbus and a seasoned investigator with prior experience at IndiGo and AAIB, has been finalised to lead the investigation.
But in the absence of a formal notification from the director general of AAIB, Rebbapragada lacks the legal mandate, budgetary control, and powers to access vital materials like the flight data and cockpit voice recorders.
'The appointment has to come via an official order,' aviation safety expert Amit Singh said, as cited by ET, warning that without such authority, investigators are unable to compel cooperation or access the crash site freely.
Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu, as cited by ET, confirmed that AAIB was leading the probe and that a panel had been formed, but declined to specify when the lead investigator would be formally appointed. 'The investigation has started from Day 1. I do not want to put any pressure… Let them go through the whole process,' he said.
The June 12 crash involved a London-bound Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner that went down moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
The aircraft slammed into a medical hostel in the city's Meghaninagar area, killing 270, including 241 passengers. Only one person onboard survived.
While the Ministry claimed a formal inquiry had begun on June 12, aviation experts remain sceptical, according to ET. In contrast, in 2020, after the Calicut Air India Express crash, AAIB had issued a formal order within days, appointing a five-member panel.
Doubts have also resurfaced about the capability and independence of AAIB, which draws most of its staff from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The Bureau lacks an independent budget and has historically been overseen by IAS officers, with the current chief, GVG Yugandhar, being a former Indian Air Force officer.
In March, a Parliamentary Standing Committee flagged the AAIB's inadequate resources, noting that only Rs 20 crore was allocated as capital expenditure for FY26.
Although a separate committee under Union home secretary Govind Mohan has also been formed to provide broader safety recommendations, minister Naidu, as cited by ET, said that the AAIB remains the primary body for investigating the Ahmedabad crash.
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