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The Hindu
2 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Post Ahmedabad flight crash, AAI undertakes full-scale emergency exercise at Chennai airport
Following the flight crash at Ahmedabad, Airports Authority of India carried out a full-scale emergency exercise on Saturday at Chennai airport to assess the preparedness. This was part of the periodic testing of the 'Airport Emergency Plan' and was done with the objective of examining the airport's preparedness and coordination efforts between various agencies when a major aircraft accident occurs within the vicinity of the airport, according to a press release. During the drill, they simulated the crash of a commercial aircraft with 50 passengers and five crew members, shortly after take-off and its effect on the location close to the airport, near the Officers Training Academy. Following a distress call received by Air Traffic Control, emergency was initiated, fire tower was alerted, and emergency response protocol was triggered. The fire services deployed crash tenders and simulated post-crash fire was mitigated, and it enabled beginning of rescue operations. After the injured passengers were rushed to medical facilities in ambulances, CISF cordoned off the crash site and set up a Quick Reaction Team perimeter. The aircraft's Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder (Black Box) were located and secured subsequently, the release said. A structured debriefing was conducted post-exercise to assess performance metrics, response time compliance, inter agency coordination and to identify potential areas for procedural enhancement, the release said.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Mental health: Need ‘ATCs' to ‘hear' their ‘Mayday calls'
'Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!' Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, pilot of the ill-fated AI-171 Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the Ahmedabad-London Gatwick flight route, called out to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) seconds after taking off at 1.39 pm on June 12 from Ahmadabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The Mayday call informed a helpless ATC that the aircraft was not achieving the thrust to sustain the take-off, and that they were 'falling'. Seconds later, the aircraft crashed into a medical college hostel, turning into a fireball, killing 241 of the 242 individuals on board and several others on the ground, taking the toll to 270. Each air tragedy shocks people, a sudden and unexpected halt on hopes, dreams and aspirations of not only those whose lives are consumed, but also their grieving near and dear ones. Relationships turn into mere memories of once-shared lives. It leaves a bitter after-taste of experiencing the lives of those known so closely being suddenly nipped in the bud, of lifelines mercilessly severed. A closure without explanations or justifications. This is what makes air tragedies more shocking – that one ill-fated incident can wipe out so many lives in one cruel swipe. Such tragedies evoke a lot of emotions, anger and frustration. However, there is another tragedy which is in the making, but fails to attract attention. There are 'Mayday calls', but not many hear them. They gradually move through a living disaster as they suffer in silence – which, if continued to be ignored, can lead them to live extremely disturbed and quality-affected lives, and worse, even consider extreme steps. This 'tragedy in the making' is mental illness, to which it is most difficult to put a number while estimating how widely it has spread. Hyper-competition is now embedded and accepted as 'part of life'. In an increasingly complicated world, in which the double-edged sword of 'social media' casts its negative impacts on sensitive minds, it works like a well-oiled machine to afflict a growing number of people with mental illness. The Covid-19 pandemic inflicted a cruel blow, bringing with it social isolation, job loss, and major disruption to healthcare and education, that made matters worse across age-groups.
Wales Online
6 days ago
- General
- Wales Online
RAF Hawk jets in near miss with mystery paramotor in busy air corridor
RAF Hawk jets in near miss with mystery paramotor in busy air corridor The paramotor had not been detected on radar and hadn't notified Air Traffic Control (ATC) of its intentions, with the two RAF Hawk jets coming within 200ft of the motorised glider Two Hawk T2s above their base at RAF Valley (Image: MoD ) Two Hawk jets experienced a close call with an unidentified paramotor while on the "approach lane" for RAF Valley. The paramotor, a powered paraglider, had not appeared on radar and failed to communicate its presence to Air Traffic Control (ATC). The incident, which occurred approximately five miles south of RAF Valley, resulted in the Hawks coming within 200ft of the motorised glider. It all transpired on November 27, 2024 and it was only at a late stage that the crew visually spotted the paramotor. Following the near miss, all aircrafts in the visual circuit were ordered to land due to the uncertainty surrounding the paramotor's flight path. An inquiry into the event has been conducted, culminating in the publication of an Airprox (air proximity) report. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here . The report disclosed: "The pair of Hawks came within an estimated 200ft of the para[motor]." It went on to say: "Although the para[motor] pilot was operating within the law, it would be fair to say that they were operating with poor awareness of the hazard of flying in the approach lane of a busy fast-jet base", reports North Wales Live. Additionally, the report noted: "Likewise, the Hawk formation had no awareness of the presence of the para[motor] until it was too late to do anything about it." Article continues below Despite thorough attempts, the pilot of the motorised glider remains untraceable, having been difficult to spot on the day due to a dark-coloured canopy blending with the dark ground below. The report highlighted: "It was clear from the footage that the 'look-down' was not particularly good that day, which likely contributed to the difficulties in seeing the para[motor] canopy until it had passed underneath the aircraft, by which point it was too late to do anything about it." In its recommendations, the report suggested: "Hawk pilots will be reminded at the next flight safety meeting of the potential hazards of para[motor]s on approach to the airfield, and the importance of an effective lookout. Valley AST will be asked to liaise with ATC to determine the suitability of positioning a monitor showing (and perhaps ADS-B) live information to increase ATC's awareness of free flying in the vicinity of RAF Valley." The map shows the near miss over RAF Valley in Anglesey Moreover, the flight safety officer of the local paragliding club issued a directive to club members cautioning them to avoid flying near RAF Valley's approach path. The report also concluded: "It is likely that the para[motor] pilot is not a member of the club and/or a visitor to the area." HQ Air Command commented: "A good spot by the rear occupant of the lead aircraft; however, there wasn't time for the Hawk formation to conduct any type of avoiding action. The event was well managed by ATC in coordination with the Duty Pilot to mitigate any further risks presented by the paramotor. "Continued engagement with local airspace users via the Regional Airspace User Working Group is vital; however, it will be difficult to capture all airspace users, especially those who don't appear to be members of the BHPA (British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association)." The BHPA expressed their concern: "The BHPA is most disappointed to hear about this Airprox which had a considerable adverse effect on RAF Valley's flying operations. We have made extensive attempts at trying to identify this paramotor pilot and, during our conversations with the local BHPA paragliding and paramotoring clubs on Anglesey, we weren't able to ascertain their identity and, therefore, we are almost certain that this pilot is not a BHPA member." They continued, expressing relief that the incident did not escalate: "Consequently, we are unable to add much in the way of a BHPA comment to the incident itself other than relief that a more serious outcome was averted." The association also voiced their frustration over the lack of regulatory measures for paramotor and powered hang glider pilots by the Civil Aviation Authority and Department for Transport. They criticised the current state of aviation regulation: "Paramotoring still remains the only form of aviation in the UK where an unlicensed and uninsured pilot can fly and share the sky with other airspace users having had no formal training on the Rules of the Air, AirLaw, Meteorology, Airspace Classifications, etc., or had any formal flying instruction." Article continues below The incident was categorised as a risk category B (on a scale from A - the most serious - to D). This indicates that the incident resulted in a significant reduction in safety margins, though a collision was not deemed likely.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
DGCA finds multiple violations related to airlines, airports, aircraft maintenance works
Aviation watchdog DGCA has detected multiple violations related to airlines, airports, aircraft maintenance works, and repeated defects in multiple cases during its surveillance at major airports, an exercise carried out in less than two weeks after the Air India plane crash. Without disclosing names of the airlines, airports and other entities in relation to the defects, the regulator on Tuesday (June 24, 2025) said surveillance covered multiple critical areas such as flight operations, airworthiness, ramp safety, Air Traffic Control (ATC), Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) systems, and pre-flight medical evaluations. From a faded centre line marking of a runway at an airport to non-updation of obstruction limitation data for three years to a scheduled carrier's domestic flight being held up due to worn tyres, the watchdog came across multiple defects in the aviation ecosystem. Also Read | Black box of crashed Air India plane is in India, being examined by AAIB: Civil Aviation Minister Noting that the comprehensive surveillance will continue in future to detect hazards in the aviation ecosystem, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the findings have been communicated to the entities concerned for taking corrective actions within seven days. Two teams led by the Joint Director General carried out the surveillance during night and early morning hours at major airports, including Delhi and Mumbai airports. In a detailed statement about the surveillance findings, DGCA listed multiple cases wherein the reported defects reappeared many times on the aircraft indicating ineffective monitoring and inadequate rectification. Also Read | In a stern warning, DGCA asks Air India to remove executives overseeing crew, their duty hours 'Ground handling equipment such as baggage trollies... were found unserviceable; Line maintenance stores, tool control procedures were not followed,' it said. During maintenance of aircraft, the work order was not followed, DGCA said and added that the unserviceable thrust reverser system and flap slat lever were not locked. 'During maintenance, safety precautions found not (to have been) taken by AME (Aircraft Maintenance Engineer) as per AMM (Aircraft Maintenance Manual); at places, AME was not attending to the snag rectification; defect reports generated by the aircraft system, were not found recorded in the technical logbook,' the statement said. Also Read | Ahmedabad plane crash: Air India CEO says crashed Dreamliner was well-maintained, undergone last major check in June 2023 Also, DGCA found that several life vests were not properly secured beneath their designated seats in aircraft and the corrosion-resistant tape on the right-hand side winglet's lower blade was found to be damaged. At an airport, centre line marking of a runway was observed faded and the rapid exit taxiway, green centre light were not unidirectional. The obstruction limitation data was found to have not been updated for last three years and no survey has been performed despite many new construction around the vicinity of aerodrome, DGCA said. However, names of the airports were not disclosed. Ground Zero | Skyfall in Ahmedabad 'A number of vehicles in the ramp area were found without speed governors. These vehicles were withdrawn by cancelling there AVP and drivers ADP were suspended,' the statement said. Further, the regulator said a simulator was found not matching with the aircraft configuration and that the software was not updated to the current version. Besides, a domestic flight of a scheduled carrier was held up due to worn tyres and it was released only after the required rectification was done, it added. Also Read | Air India Ahmedabad plane crash victims | Tales of grief and loss DGCA emphasised that it has initiated a focused assessment of the aviation ecosystem to strengthen safety measures across the sector. 'Throughout the surveillance, ground activities and aircraft movements were closely monitored to check the compliance of regulatory requirements and to identify weak areas for improvement,' the statement said. In the wake of the crash of the London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 plane soon after take off from Ahmedabad on June 12, DGCA has also put in place a special audit framework for a "360-degree" evaluation of the country's aviation ecosystem and transcend the current practice of siloed assessment.
Wales Online
6 days ago
- General
- Wales Online
RAF Valley Hawk jets in near miss with mystery 'paramotor' on approach to Anglesey base
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Two Hawk jets were involved in a near miss with a mystery paramotor on the "approach lane" for RAF Valley. The paramotor - which is a powered para-glider - had not been detected on radar and hadn't notified Air Traffic Control (ATC) of its intentions. This saw the two Hawks come within 200ft of the motorised glider around five miles south of RAF Valley. It was visually identified by crew at a late stage in the incident on November 27 last year. After the near miss all traffic within the visual circuit was instructed to land due to the unknown routeing of the paramotor. An investigation was launched and an Airprox (air proximity) report has now been released. The report stated: "The pair of Hawks came within an estimated 200ft of the para[motor]. "Although the para[motor] pilot was operating within the law, it would be fair to say that they were operating with poor awareness of the hazard of flying in the approach lane of a busy fast-jet base. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox "Likewise, the Hawk formation had no awareness of the presence of the para[motor] until it was too late to do anything about it." Despite extensive efforts it proved impossible to track down the pilot of the motorised glider, which had been hard to identify on the day due to having a dark coloured canopy against a dark-coloured ground. The report added: "It was clear from the footage that the 'look-down' was not particularly good that day, which likely contributed to the difficulties in seeing the para[motor] canopy until it had passed underneath the aircraft, by which point it was too late to do anything about it." In terms of recommendations, it added: "Hawk pilots will be reminded at the next flight safety meeting of the potential hazards of para[motor]s on approach to the airfield, and the importance of an effective lookout. Valley AST will be asked to liaise with ATC to determine the suitability of positioning a monitor showing (and perhaps ADS-B) live information to increase ATC's awareness of free flying in the vicinity of RAF Valley." The flight safety officer of the local paragliding club has subsequently also issued a communication to the club to warn against flying in the approach lane of RAF Valley. The report added: "It is likely that the para[motor] pilot is not a member of the club and/or a visitor to the area." HQ Air Command said: "A good spot by the rear occupant of the lead aircraft; however, there wasn't time for the Hawk formation to conduct any type of avoiding action. The event was well managed by ATC in coordination with the Duty Pilot to mitigate any further risks presented by the paramotor. "Continued engagement with local airspace users via the Regional Airspace User Working Group is vital; however, it will be difficult to capture all airspace users, especially those who don't appear to be members of the BHPA (British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association)." The BHPA said: "The BHPA is most disappointed to hear about this Airprox which had a considerable adverse effect on RAF Valley's flying operations. We have made extensive attempts at trying to identify this paramotor pilot and, during our conversations with the local BHPA paragliding and paramotoring clubs on Anglesey, we weren't able to ascertain their identity and, therefore, we are almost certain that this pilot is not a BHPA member. "Consequently, we are unable to add much in the way of a BHPA comment to the incident itself other than relief that a more serious outcome was averted." They added that they were frustrated that the Civil Aviation Authority and Department for Transport had not made proper training and third party insurance mandatory for paramotor and powered hang glider pilots. They said: "Paramotoring still remains the only form of aviation in the UK where an unlicensed and uninsured pilot can fly and share the sky with other airspace users having had no formal training on the Rules of the Air, AirLaw, Meteorology, Airspace Classifications, etc., or had any formal flying instruction." The incident was classed as a risk category B (on scale of A - the most serious - to D. This means the incident involved a significant reduction in safety margins, but a collision was not assessed as likely. Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone
