AAIB probe into Air India crash transparent, totally unbiased: Ram Mohan Naidu

Hindustan Times

4 days ago

NEW DELHI: Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu backed the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) report and probe into the crash of Air India 171, terming the body 'unbiased', even as several lawmakers questioned him on the accident and on air safety. Ahmedabad: Wreckage of Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, which was operating flight AI 171 from Ahmedabad to London, placed under tight security, seen a month after the tragedy, in Ahmedabad. (PTI)
His comments in the Rajya Sabha came in the wake of a raft of reports in western media that have blamed the commander of the aircraft for the crash, claiming that he switched off fuel to the engines. AAIB's preliminary report identifies the fuel switches being in cut-off position as the reason for the engine failure, and paraphrases a conversation between the two pilots, with one asking the other whether he cut the fuel, and receiving a negative response. The report did not say what could have caused this, but said there was nothing wrong with either the engine or the aircraft.
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Replying to Rajya Sabha MP Ashokrao Chavan, Naidu said: ' AAIB got into the investigation right after the accident happened… they have started the process according to international standards… they have involved all subject matter experts… necessary people who are supposed to be participating in the investigation. They have gone through the first set of investigation processes and have given us the preliminary report.'
To be sure, AAIB has responded to western media reports by clarifying that its preliminary report was only about the 'what' and not the 'why' or 'how'.
The civil aviation minister said that definitive answers will only be available once the AAIB's final report is ready.
Talking about the preliminary report and decoding of the black box of the B787 that crashed on June 12, Naidu said, ' Whenever these accidents happen and the black box gets damaged. It was always sent to the original equipment manufacturer and for decoding.' This time, he added, that the black box was decoded in the county for the first time and 'we have done it successfully'.
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Replying to MP Anil Kumar Yadav Mandadi, minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol, in a written reply, said that the data from one of the flight recorders of AI-171 (VT-ANB) has been downloaded in the Flight Recorder Lab of the AAIB at Udaan Bhawan.
Naidu asked people to 'respect the process'.
'We want to stand by the truth. We want to find out what exactly happened and that is only going to be coming out once the final report (of AAIB) is placed. We have to respect the process of investigation and once that process has happened, then we can talk about what happened, how it happened and then corrective measures (can be taken),' the minister said.
'I can say this in the House and to the people of the country that AAIB has a very definitive and thorough rule-based process. They are very transparently looking at the (investigation) process right now and they are totally unbiased,' Naidu added.
Referring to western media reports, he said: 'There have been multiple reports not only in India but also in the Western media, trying to air their own viewpoints and narratives but I want to tell you that the way we are seeing the investigation is through the facts. We want to stand by the truth and not what is happening with the pilots, Boeing, Air India or any other stakeholder'. We want to find out what exactly happened. We have to respect the process of investigation.'
India's civil aviation regulator has always focused on safety, he said, replying to another question from Fauzia Khan: 'In terms of safety, DGCA has inspections which are planned, ramp inspections, spot checks, and night surveillance… they conduct safety audits…they keep monitoring all aircraft and airports…whenever such incidents happen… we ensure that there is no negligence and no incompetence on any of the processes, nd if something takes place because of the negligence then we take a serious actions on the operator and any necessary person and impose penalties..'
Separately, in a written reply to MP John Brittas, Mrulidhar Mohol said, 'During the last six months, a total of nine show cause notices have been issued to Air India in connection with five identified safety violations. Enforcement action has been completed in respect of one violation. '