New Delhi [India], July 13 : 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.