The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau formed a team to investigate the Boeing 737 crash at Kozhikode International airport on 7th August. In a statement issued by the Director General of the AAIB, the team will investigate and determine the probable causes and contributory factors that led to the accident, and will also make recommendations to avoid recurrence of such accidents in future.
Exercising the powers under the Rule 11 (1) of the Aircraft (Accident and Incidents Investigation) Rules 2017, the Director General of the AAIB ordered the investigation into the crash of the Air Indian Express flight from Dubai to find out the probable causes.
Capt. S S Chahar, former designated examiner of Boeing 737 NG, has been appointed as the Investigator-In-Charge for the probe. Others appointed into the probe team are, Operations expert Ved Prakash, Senior Aircraft Maintenance Engineer for B737 Mukut Bhardwaj, Aviation medicine expert Gp. Capt. (Dr.) Y S Dahiya and AAIB’s deputy director Jasbir Singh Larhga.
The probe team has been authorised to take assistance of other experts and agencies as per requirement. The Investigation team has been asked to complete the probe and submit the report within 5 months.
The Air India Express flight 1344 had crashed at Kozhikode airport on 7th August after it landed amid heavy rains. After landing, the aircraft could not stop on the runway, overshot the tabletop runway and the short buffer, and fell down the gorge 35 feet below. The aircraft fuselage had split into two pieces after the fall, and its cockpit was badly damaged, killing both the pilots. The cash has killed 16 people from the total 190 on board including crew.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau was formed under the Civil Aviation Ministry in 2011 to probe aircraft accidents and incidents in India. Prior to that, such investigations were conducted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
