Air India Crash: High-Level Committee Meets To Assess 'Root Cause', Begins SOP Review Process
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The committee has three months to submit a final report and will be different from the on-ground investigation that is being carried out by multiple agencies from India and the US
Five days after the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, the central government began the process of reviewing standard operating procedures for such incidents. A high-level committee headed by the union home secretary met on Monday to assess 'the root cause of the crash".
The civil aviation ministry ordered the formation of the committee on June 14 with a mandate to assess the contributing factors that could have caused the crash. It has three months to submit a final report, and will be different from the on-ground investigation that is being carried out by multiple agencies from India and the US.
Civil aviation secretary, Gujarat government secretary, representatives from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, Intelligence Bureau, Indian Air Force and disaster management forces will be part of the panel.
According to sources, the committee could soon visit the site to examine if the crash was due to a mechanical failure, human error or weather conditions. The BCAS apprised the panel of past instances of air crashes in India as well as those involving Boeing – the manufacturer of the Dreamliner, the sources said. The committee was briefed on the causes arrived at for the previous accidents, they added.
SOPs TO CHANGE?
The committee in consultation with aviation experts may review the current standard operating procedures (SOP) for ground-level responders as well as agencies in case of such disasters.
The sources said this is likely because there is a need for 'necessary improvements and formulation of new guidelines to prevent such incidents in the future". The fresh recommendations will take into account the best international practices regarding prevention and handling of such incidents.
While DGCA is probing the cause of the crash, the committee will further look into the response on ground by different stakeholders – both central and state governments. It will scrutinise the speed of relief and rescue operations in Ahmedabad, as well as coordination between multiple agencies, their on-ground response and lapses if any.
Ahmedabad police had successfully created a green corridor for the Ambulances to move from the residential quarters at the BJ Medical College – the crash site – to the civil hospital. Multiple central agencies from the NDRF to BSF, Indian Army, and NSG had arrived to assist the Gujarat police and firefighting teams on the ground.
But, the panel could recommend specific and comprehensive protocols for each agency in case of such a disaster. Enhanced personnel training for quick response in such situations could also be part of the guidelines, sources said.
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