Latest news with #AirlinePilots'AssociationofIndia
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Business Standard
Pilots' organisation urges inclusion in Air India crash probe as observer
The Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India) on Friday once again urged the Centre to include its representatives as observers in the ongoing investigation into last month's Air India crash that claimed 260 lives, reported PTI. ALPA India has repeatedly asked to be part of the inquiry process. In line with global best practices and Annex 13 of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the association said pilot groups may assist investigations as technical advisers. 'ALPA India once again renews its request to be included as an observer in the ongoing investigation of VT-ANB, to contribute professionally and help strengthen the safety framework of Indian aviation,' the association said in a statement, as quoted by PTI. The request comes a day after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) stated that it was premature to reach any 'definite conclusions' regarding the cause of the crash on the basis of its preliminary report. It further added that a final report will be published with the root causes once the inquiry is complete, and urged people not to spread unverified claims. 'The purpose of the AAIB's investigation and preliminary report is to provide information about what happened. At this stage, it is too early to reach any definite conclusions... AAIB appeals to all concerned to await publication of the final investigation report after completion of the investigation. AAIB will also publish updates as and when required, which have technical and public interest,' G V G Yugandhar, director-general of the AAIB, said. The statement was issued just hours after The Wall Street Journal published a report alleging that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal had turned off the fuel switches moments before the crash. The Boeing 787-8 aircraft, which was flying from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on June 12, crashed after take-off, killing all but one person aboard. A total of 260 casualties, including people on the ground, were recorded.
NDTV
2 days ago
- NDTV
"These Are Not 2 People On Tinder Date": Expert Defends Dreamliner Pilots
New Delhi: Serious pilots in India who are closely watching the unfolding events linked to the investigation into the crash of Air India's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner are upset about the whole situation due to a perceived slant towards blaming the pilots, a top aviation expert and a pilot himself told NDTV on Thursday. Captain Sam Thomas, who heads the Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India), said two things are bothering serious experts who have been tracking the investigation - speculation, and alleged absence of any qualified expert in the report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). "As far as speculation is concerned, we are okay with the media speculating. We believe speculation is a good part of investigative journalism. However, we object to pilots or so-called pilots or so-called experts who came on board and speculate," Mr Thomas told NDTV. "On day one, they said it's a bird hit. On day two, they said it's an overloaded airplane. On day three, they said something else. What we are objecting to is why did you call them on day four? You called them on day five, six, till such time that they insinuated this is something the captain has done with a motive to end his own life, which is farthest from the truth," Mr Thomas said. He said they don't believe the report "is completely Indian controlled", that it seemed like "a dictated sort of letter". "And you released that in the middle of the night. You cannot even get the full form of FADEC correctly. And you cannot get the issue date of [pilot] Sumit's licence correct. How do I expect you to go through the entire report? I don't want to see past those three lines. And you have released one line selectively at the order of somebody. Now, we don't know who said to whom. And there is a tonality to a conversation. These are not two people on a Tinder date. So please be responsible," Mr Thomas said. He said they would like to go through the entire report or the digital flight data recorder (DFDR) to throw better light, rather than using people who are non-technical and from a non-civilian background. On a report by the Wall Street Journal that appeared to question the pilot's actions, Mr Thomas said it is likely the American newspaper has been "fed that information". "... And it's our fault. It's not their fault. If I were to be heading this committee, I would have sat there and given a piece of paper to each of those NTSB and Boeing investigators and said, 'sign this, whatever goes out of this room goes out through me and not through anybody else. If you cannot maintain that confidentiality, get out of here'," Mr Thomas said. "[But] they have set the narrative in such a calculated manner that no matter what proof I give you, they will still nail the pilot. They have already done that. Half the world thinks that, and half the world thinks Indian pilots are morons. This has happened because of the shoddy investigation and the shoddy way things have proceeded in India." He referred to the Boeing 737 MAX controversy over the MCAS-linked crashes. "... With the 737 Max crash, what about the first crash? If you had woken up at that time and had a conscience, you would have said, hey, I need something to set my airplane. All right. You kept quiet. Unfortunately, the Ethiopian accident happened. "Luckily, the Ethiopians were much more intelligent than all of us. They did their in-house investigation and that's when it came out that you could not avoid the existence of MCAS, which is a renegade system that crashes your airplane. So there are many, many vested interests, not just one. Let's not just look at the OEM or some investigating body. Everybody who is not telling the truth has something to gain. And this is the narrative that is being told," the veteran pilot told NDTV. The Air India Boeing 787 crashed seconds after take-off from Ahmedabad airport, killing 260 people.
NZ Herald
3 days ago
- General
- NZ Herald
Air India crash: Airline industry boss says controversial cockpit video recorders might be good idea in future
'But on a personal basis, I can see that there is a strong argument now for the inclusion of the video in the cockpit to assist in accident investigations.' All but one of the 230 passengers on Flight 171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick were killed in the June 12 crash. On Saturday, a preliminary crash report said a cockpit voice recording showed one pilot asking another why he cut off fuel supply to the engines. The report has sparked anger from the Airline Pilots' Association of India, which suggested pilots were being blamed prematurely for the crash. 'Our industry has always been very open in sharing information. We believe that any accident or any major incident that takes place needs to be investigated fully and reported so that everybody can benefit from the experience,' Walsh said. 'And based on what little we know now, it's quite possible that a video recording in addition to the voice recording would significantly assist the investigators in conducting that investigation.' The International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations (IFALPA) has voiced concern about recordings being inappropriately used by media and litigants. In a late 2023 position paper, it said pre-internet or pre-smartphone views of cockpit recordings had become obsolete. The IFALPA said some mobile phones and computers could survive aircraft accidents, and there was no global standard for protection of cockpit recordings. And on flight recorders generally, the IFALPA has said no on-board recordings should be released other than for accident or incident investigations. 'They should not become a tool to monitor and/or check the judgment, performance or ability which a particular pilot demonstrates or has demonstrated during the course of a flight.' The Australian Airline Pilots' Association voiced similar concerns a decade ago, saying financial and human costs of installing airborne image recorders would outweigh benefits. India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau are continuing to investigate the Flight 171 crash. The preliminary report said downloaded flight data contained about 49 hours of flight information and data on six flights, including the crashed one. The take-off weight was within allowable limits and no significant bird activity was seen in or around the flight path. There has been speculation a pilot on Flight 171 may have had mental health issues. 'On the issue of mental health, this is an issue that's relevant to everybody in the world. It's not just unique to pilots,' Walsh added. 'Our industry is actually doing a lot in that area, but obviously we need to continue to do everything we can to ensure that safety continues to be enhanced.' John Weekes is a business journalist mostly covering aviation and courts. He has previously covered consumer affairs, crime, politics and courts.
India Gazette
6 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Don't think report is ok": Aviation expert Sanat Kaul questions AI 171 crash report, calls for pilot inclusion in probe panel
New Delhi [India], July 13 (ANI): Aviation expert Sanat Kaul on Sunday raised concerns over the preliminary report of the Air India 171 crash investigation, stating that it is 'not ok.' He emphasised the need for pilots to be included in the probe panel, as per the International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) charter. 'Well the report, with the National Emblem, from the Ministry of Civil Aviation is not signed, that is correct. It should have been signed. But I don't think the report is ok. We should wait for the final report, and the final report may not align with the preliminary report; there can be several changes in the final report,' Kaul told ANI here. Kaul stressed that a pilot familiar with Boeing 787 systems or at least 737 experience should be part of the investigation team. He called for the implementation of Annex 13 of ICAO's charter, outlining procedures for plane crash investigations. 'The other is that in these investigations the International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) charter has to be implemented. There has to be a team, experts. So they have a contention that no pilot is in the team, there has to be a pilot who is conversant with Boeing 787 aircraft. If they can't find a pilot with that experience, then they should have someone (having experience) with atleast (Boeing) 737,' Kaul said. The Aviation expert's remarks comes after the Federation of Indian Pilots and the Airline Pilots' Association of India also raised doubts over the preliminary report, saying that 'qualified, experienced personnel, especially pilots' are not being included in the team of experts. Kaul and the Airline Pilots' Association of India emphasised the need for qualified, experienced personnel, especially pilots, to be included in the investigation team. India is a signatory of the ICAO Chicago Convention (1944), the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement on June 26 that the investigation is happening 'in accordance with ICAO Annex 13 and the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017.' The multi-disciplinary probe committee formed by the Central government is chaired by the Union Home Secretary and includes Secretary Ministry of Civil Aviation, Senior Officials from Home Ministry, Officials of Home Department and State Disaster Response Authority of Gujarat, Police Commissioner of Ahmedabad, Director General of Inspection and Safety in the Indian Air Force and Director General of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. Earlier, commenting on the June 12th AI 171 crash, the Airline Pilots' Association of India said, 'The tone and direction of the investigation suggest a bias toward pilot error. We categorically reject this presumption and insist on a fair, fact-based inquiry.' 'The report was leaked to media without any responsible official signature or attribution. There is lack of transparency in investigation as investigations continue to be shrouded in secrecy, undermining credibility and public trust. Qualified, experienced personnel, especially line pilots, are still not being included in the investigation team,' the association added. The crash of Air India flight AI171, a Boeing Dreamliner 787-8, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, claimed 260 lives, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground on June 12. (ANI)
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
"Don't think report is ok": Aviation expert Sanat Kaul questions AI 171 crash report, calls for pilot inclusion in probe panel
Aviation expert Sanat Kaul on Sunday raised concerns over the preliminary report of the Air India 171 crash investigation, stating that it is "not ok." He emphasised the need for pilots to be included in the probe panel, as per the International Civil Aviation Organisation 's (ICAO) charter. "Well the report, with the National Emblem, from the Ministry of Civil Aviation is not signed, that is correct. It should have been signed. But I don't think the report is ok. We should wait for the final report, and the final report may not align with the preliminary report; there can be several changes in the final report," Kaul told here. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 3BHK Transformation Possible for ₹4.5 Lakh? HomeLane Get Quote Undo Kaul stressed that a pilot familiar with Boeing 787 systems or at least 737 experience should be part of the investigation team. He called for the implementation of Annex 13 of ICAO's charter, outlining procedures for plane crash investigations. "The other is that in these investigations the International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) charter has to be implemented. There has to be a team, experts. So they have a contention that no pilot is in the team, there has to be a pilot who is conversant with Boeing 787 aircraft. If they can't find a pilot with that experience, then they should have someone (having experience) with atleast (Boeing) 737," Kaul said. Live Events The Aviation expert's remarks comes after the Federation of Indian Pilots and the Airline Pilots' Association of India also raised doubts over the preliminary report, saying that "qualified, experienced personnel, especially pilots" are not being included in the team of experts. Kaul and the Airline Pilots' Association of India emphasised the need for qualified, experienced personnel, especially pilots, to be included in the investigation team. India is a signatory of the ICAO Chicago Convention (1944), the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement on June 26 that the investigation is happening "in accordance with ICAO Annex 13 and the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017." The multi-disciplinary probe committee formed by the Central government is chaired by the Union Home Secretary and includes Secretary Ministry of Civil Aviation, Senior Officials from Home Ministry, Officials of Home Department and State Disaster Response Authority of Gujarat, Police Commissioner of Ahmedabad, Director General of Inspection and Safety in the Indian Air Force and Director General of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. Earlier, commenting on the June 12th AI 171 crash, the Airline Pilots' Association of India said, "The tone and direction of the investigation suggest a bias toward pilot error. We categorically reject this presumption and insist on a fair, fact-based inquiry." "The report was leaked to media without any responsible official signature or attribution. There is lack of transparency in investigation as investigations continue to be shrouded in secrecy, undermining credibility and public trust. Qualified, experienced personnel, especially line pilots, are still not being included in the investigation team," the association added. The crash of Air India flight AI171, a Boeing Dreamliner 787-8, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, claimed 260 lives, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground on June 12.
