The government has constituted a “high-level multi-disciplinary committee” headed by Union home secretary Govind Mohan to examine the causes leading to the June 12 Air India Ahmedabad-London Gatwick flight 171 crash. The move came just hours after PM Modi visited the crash site in Ahmedabad. The order issued by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation stated that the committee will “focus on formulating Standard Operating Procedures [SOPs] for preventing and handling such occurrences in the future”. The order states that it will not substitute other enquiries by relevant organisations, referring to the main accident probe conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau which recovered the black box on Friday. The committee will publish its report within three months.
The four-point scope of the committee defined in the order states it will “ascertain the root cause of the [Air India Boeing 787] crash” and its contributing factors, including mechanical failure, human error, weather conditions, and regulatory compliances. The panel will also recommend necessary improvements, and formulate suitable SOPs to prevent such incidents in the future, including best international practices.
Among others, the committee will also assess the emergency response by various stakeholders, including rescue operations and coordination among them, and suggest roles for various agencies and organisations to deal with post-crash incident handling and management.
As investigators pore over wreckage at the BJ Medical College hostel and canteen complex for clues after the crash, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said aviation regulator DGCA has ordered “extended surveillance” for the Tata-owned airline’s Boeing 787 series planes.
Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), commonly known as the Black box, was recovered from the “rooftop” of the hostel building at the crash site on Friday. Naidu said India has very strict aviation safety standards and robust protocols, and everything will be done to further improve safety.
According to reports, the Air India pilot sent distress messages to Ahmedabad Air Traffic Control before the crash. Messages like “thrust not achieved”, “falling”, and “Mayday” were sent by the pilot minutes after takeoff, sources told India Today TV.
DNA samples of 19 victims matched, toll reaches 274
Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi on Saturday provided latest updates on the identification of the Air India plane crash victims, saying that 19 DNA samples have matched as of 9 p.m. on the day.
He said that the authorities were confirming identities of other victims. “DNA Matching Progress: 19 DNA samples have been matched so far, confirming the identities of victims,” Sanghavi wrote.
Death toll 274: The death toll from the Air India crash in Ahmedabad on Saturday climbed to 274, including 33 of those who were on the ground when the aircraft went down.
Meanwhile, the Tata Group, which owns Air India, has extended its compensation package to include these victims. In a statement, the Tata Group confirmed that the compensation of Rs. 1 crore, initially announced for passengers on board, will also be offered to the families of those who died on the ground. The conglomerate has also committed to covering the medical expenses of all those injured in the crash, The Indian Express reported.