• Source:JND
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Air India Plane Crash: It has been a little over a month since the Air India AI 171 plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12 left 261 people dead. A team of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), constituted to probe this accident, submitted its 15-page preliminary report on Saturday, July 12. According to the report, the engine fuel control switch went from 'run' to 'cut off' position within an interval of one second, immediately after which a may-day call was also signaled. In this accident, 241 out of the 242 on board lost their lives. The crash also killed 19 people on the ground.

A preliminary report revealed that soon after the takeoff, one pilot had asked the other why he switched off the fuel, to which the other pilot denied doing so.

According to a Reuters report, pilots cannot inadvertently move these switches, but if they are disabled, the engine power is lost immediately. This information has raised fresh questions on how the switches worked and the actual sequence of events, leading to calls for a detailed investigation of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR). The CVR is one of the two black boxes of the plane, the other being the flight data recorder (FDR)

What is AAIB or Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau?

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), is a government agency under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, responsible for investigating aircraft accidents and serious incidents that occur in the Indian airspace. Established in 2012, the agency's primary purpose is entirely focused on safety, with the goal of preventing future incidents, not punishing anyone.

Section 7 of the Aircraft Act 1934, empowers the government to make rules for investigation. Under this system, till the year 2012, the Directorate of Air Safety of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (under the Ministry of Aviation) used to investigate accidents and safety related incidents. The DGCA is also the regulator of aviation companies. This system had the potential for bias, to prevent which AAIB was formed.

What are the Functions of AAIB?

In general, the AAIB classifies ‘safety occurrences’ involving aircraft in Indian airspace into three categories: accident, serious incident and incident. It is mandated to investigate accidents and serious incidents involving aircraft with a gross vehicle weight (the total weight of the aircraft including passengers and baggage) over 2,250 kg and all turbojet aircraft. However, it can take over investigations of other cases as required.

Rule 3 of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017, makes it clear that the sole objective of AAIB investigations is to prevent future recurrence of such incidents, and not to assign blame or fix responsibility.

As per the investigation process, upon receiving a report of an incident, the AAIB appoints one or more investigators who are tasked to immediately reach the scene and collect evidence. According to its website, the primary purpose of the preliminary investigation is to collect and preserve evidence that may deteriorate over time, such as taking samples from the wreckage and surroundings or recovering the black box.

Next, the investigation team reviews all the collected evidence to decide how detailed further investigation is required. Then, experts in relevant fields may be involved in the process. The AAIB has also signed MoUs with organisations such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and the DGCA to use their laboratories in its investigation.

Additionally, documents and records obtained from various stakeholders such as aircraft operators, regulators and relevant personnel are studied. The AAIB also has the exclusive right to have immediate and unrestricted access to all relevant evidence from any organisation, without prior permission from any judicial body or government authority.

When the investigation is complete, a draft report is submitted internally, which is approved by the AAIB Director General. After various consultations and reviews, the final report is made public and published on the official website. Copies of this approved 'Final Investigation Report' are also sent to ICAO and other countries involved in the investigation.

AAIB also conducts safety studies at regular intervals. The investigation reports and recommendations made in these studies are sent to the civil aviation regulators of DGCA (India) or other ICAO member countries for implementation and follow-up action.

Ahmedabad Plane Crash Probe: Who Are The 5 Members Of AAIB Team

After the Air India incident, AAIB Director General GVG Yugandhar constituted a five-member committee to investigate this case immediately. Sanjay Kumar Singh was appointed as the investigator-in-charge in this committee, while the other members included Jasbir Singh Larhga, Vipin Venu Varkoth, Veeraragavan K and Vaishnav Vijaykumar.

Here is a brief introduction of these officials:

1. Sanjay Kumar Singh

Sanjay is currently holding the post of Director in AAIB, has over 15 years of experience in the field of aircraft accident investigation and aviation safety. During this period, he has led the investigation of 15 accidents and serious incidents and has overseen the classification of over 300 incidents.

He has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering with specialisation in aeronautical engineering and also holds an MBA. According to his LinkedIn profile, he also has over 25 years of experience in advisory and operational roles related to Air Force assets.

2. Jasbir Singh Larhga

Jasbir Singh has been associated with AAIB for over a decade, and has played a key role in several aircraft accident investigations, most notably the 2020 Kozhikode Air India Express crash. His professional experience spans organisations such as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Pawan Hans and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

During his tenure at AAIB and DGCA, he contributed to investigations such as the Jet Airways runway accident in Goa in 2016 and the Air India Express taxiway incident at Mangalore airport in 2019. He was also the lead investigator of the June 12 Air India crash. A senior official described him as an efficient and hardworking professional during his regulatory tenure.

3. Vipin Venu Varakoth

Vipin has been with the aviation regulator, DGCA, for over 15 years. He is currently the Assistant Director of Air Safety at the DGCA's Mumbai office, a role he has occupied for more than seven years. According to his LinkedIn profile, he previously worked as an Air Safety Officer for a similar period of time.

4. Veeraragavan

Veeraragavan K is currently holding the position of Assistant Director of Air Safety at DGCA's Mumbai office for nearly four years, where he is Varkoth's colleague. Prior to this role, he served as an air safety officer in Delhi for nine years. His professional experience also includes a brief stint as an analytical engineer with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Chennai.

5. Vaishnav Vijayakumar

An air safety officer with the DGCA, has been part of several investigations into accidents and other serious incidents in the aviation sector.