Air India tragedy: AAIB expands probe team; ex-operations chief RS Sandhu onboard as domain expert
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has brought on board veteran pilot and former
Air India
director of operations captain RS Sandhu as a domain expert in the ongoing probe into the fatal plane crash in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people last month.
Sandhu, who spent nearly four decades at Air India and once served as a designated examiner for the Boeing 787-8 fleet, had personally taken delivery of the now-crashed aircraft, VT-ANB, in 2013.
Sources quoted by the news agency PTI claim that the AAIB approached Sandhu to lend his expertise, and he agreed to be part of the investigation.
The crash occurred on June 12 when Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed into a building shortly after takeoff.
Among the 242 people onboard, only one survived, while 19 others were killed on the ground.
A five-member AAIB team, led by Sanjay Kumar Singh, is investigating the tragedy. The panel is supported by domain experts including experienced pilots, engineers, aviation medicine specialists, psychologists, and flight recorder specialists.
According to PTI, several pilot associations had earlier expressed concern over the absence of subject matter experts in the probe.
The Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India) had specifically urged the AAIB to include experienced aviators in the investigation.
Sandhu, now the founder of aviation consultancy Aviazione, had also led the Tata Group airline integration task force. His inclusion is expected to enhance the depth and credibility of the probe.
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has reiterated support for the AAIB investigation. NTSB chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said all media reports speculating on the cause are "premature" and should be avoided. "Investigations of this magnitude take time," she said on X.
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