Did the DGCA Alert Air India About Safety Lapses?

New Delhi, June 13 (NationPress) While an in-depth investigation continues into the AI-171 tragedy in Ahmedabad, Sanat Kaul, a former Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), revealed on Friday that the civil aviation authority has addressed numerous concerns to Air India regarding inadequate safety inspections and various lapses.

Kaul suggested that potential oversights by Air India personnel responsible for safety assessments or ineffective execution of regulatory audits may have contributed to the incident, which claimed the lives of 241 people on board.

"The DGCA has reached out to Air India multiple times, highlighting numerous issues, particularly concerning safety, such as improper inspections and other lapses. Hence, questions are now raised about the maintenance protocols adopted by Air India," Kaul stated in an interview with IANS.

The former bureaucrat added, "There is growing concern regarding 'line maintenance,' which involves inspections carried out by technicians prior to each flight. The thoroughness and effectiveness of these checks are now under scrutiny..."

In aviation terminology, line maintenance encompasses routine maintenance tasks and repairs conducted on an aircraft between flights or during brief stopovers, generally performed on the airport tarmac.

Kaul emphasized that civil aviation safety issues fall under the purview of the DGCA, which operates under the Ministry but maintains an independent status.

While there exists a comprehensive regulatory framework in India, the pressing question is, "How effectively is it being applied in practice?" he remarked.

"In such an extensive system, should any lapses be identified, the investigation will determine which airline and which area were involved," he noted.

Kaul's remarks regarding the potential causes of the crash emerge as experts from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), alongside representatives from aeroplane manufacturer Boeing and the UK, initiate their inquiry into the disaster.

Investigators aim to analyze data retrieved from the aircraft's Black Box to pinpoint the cause of the suspected engine failure moments before the crash.

This incident, noted to be the first aviation disaster in a decade involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, occurred when the London-bound aircraft reached an altitude of 625 feet and ceased sending signals to the flight tracking system.

The pilots had issued a Mayday (distress) alert to Ahmedabad airport's air traffic control (ATC) shortly before descending at a vertical speed of 475 feet per minute and ultimately crashing.