Aviation body chief gets X-category security after threat intel amid crash probe
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has heightened the security of Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) Director General GVG Yugandhar by granting him X-category protection. This move follows an Intelligence Bureau (IB) threat assessment suggesting potential risks linked to his role in the ongoing investigation of Ahmedabad plane crash.As part of the enhanced security protocol, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commandos have been assigned to safeguard the senior official.advertisementThe AAIB initiated an investigation and constituted a multidisciplinary team on 13 June in accordance with national regulations and international standards.
The team is headed by DG Yugandhar and includes experts from aviation medicine, air traffic control and the US-based National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the investigative agency representing the state of manufacture and design.The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) confirmed that analysis of Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) data, commonly referred to as black boxes, is currently underway. The objective is to reconstruct the chain of events leading up to the crash and determine contributing factors to enhance aviation safety and prevent similar incidents in the future.The CVR and FDR were recovered in a phased manner. The CVR was retrieved from a rooftop at the crash site on 13 June, while the FDR was found amidst the wreckage on 16 June.advertisementBoth devices were placed under 24x7 police protection and CCTV surveillance in Ahmedabad, adhering to standard operating procedures for handling sensitive crash evidence.On 24 June, the black boxes were airlifted to Delhi by the Indian Air Force (IAF) under full security. The front black box arrived at the AAIB Lab in Delhi with DG Yugandhar at 2 pm, followed by the second black box at 5.15 pm the same day.DG Yugandhar and technical teams from both AAIB and NTSB began the data extraction process in the evening of June 24. The Crash Protection Module of the front black box was successfully retrieved. On 25 June, the memory module was accessed and its data downloaded for analysis at the AAIB Lab.- EndsMust Watch
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