Govt sets up high-level panel to examine causes for Air India plane crash, report to be submitted in 3 months

New Delhi: A high-level multi-disciplinary committee, headed by the Union home secretary, will examine the causes that led to the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, and also suggest comprehensive guidelines to prevent such incidents in the future. The civil aviation ministry said the committee will not be a substitute to other enquiries being conducted by relevant organisations. The panel "will focus on formulating SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for preventing and handling such occurrences in the future”, and will publish its report in three months, the ministry said.

On June 12, a London Gatwick-bound Boeing 787-8 aircraft crashed soon after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport, killing 241 people on board, and several others on the ground as it plunged into a medical college complex. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is already probing the fatal crash. Chaired by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, the panel has the civil aviation secretary and the additional secretary in the home ministry as members, according to an order dated June 13. Representatives from Gujarat home department, Gujarat disaster response authority, Ahmedabad police commissioner, Indian Air Force's director general of inspection and safety, director generals of

Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are part of the committee. Other members include special director of the Intelligence Bureau and director of the Directorate of Forensic Science Services. According to the order, any other member, including aviation experts, accident investigators and legal advisors may be included in the committee. The panel will ascertain the root cause of the crash and assess the contributing factors, including mechanical failure, human error, weather conditions, regulatory compliances and other reasons. It will also recommend "necessary improvements and formulate suitable SOPs to prevent such incidents in the future. The SOPs would also include best international practices regarding preventing and handling such incidents, the order said.

The panel will assess emergency response of various stakeholders, including rescue operations, and coordination. "The committee will examine the existing guidelines regarding handling such incidents, and go through the records of previous such aircraft crashes in the country," the aviation ministry said. Among other actions, the panel will formulate a comprehensive SOP and suggest the roles of all agencies and organisations of the Central and state governments to deal with post-crash incident handling and management. Also, the ministry said the committee will suggest policy changes, operational improvements and training enhancements required to prevent such occurrences and handle post-crash incident situations. According to the order, the panel will have access to all records, including, among others, flight data, cockpit voice recorders, aircraft maintenance records, ATC (Air Traffic Control) log and witness testimonies. The committee will also collaborate with international agencies if foreign nationals or aircraft manufacturers are involved.