The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is investigating all possibilities, including sabotage, in the Air India crash that killed 274 people in Ahmedabad earlier this month, NDTV reported on Sunday, quoting Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol as saying.
The black box of flight AI 171 has been recovered and remains in the custody of the AAIB, NDTV report said quoting Mohol, adding that the device would not be sent abroad and the investigation would be conducted entirely within the country.
Speaking to NDTV’s Jitendra Dixit at the Pune chapter of the Emerging Business Conclave, Mohol said the AAIB was conducting a full inquiry. “It is being probed from all angles, including any possible sabotage. CCTV footage is being reviewed, and several agencies are involved,” he said.
The London-bound Boeing 787-8 aircraft crashed on June 12 seconds after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Of the 242 passengers and crew on board, only one person survived. The aircraft lost altitude shortly after take-off at around 1:30 pm and crashed into residential quarters of doctors from BJ Medical College in the Meghaninagar area before catching fire. NDTV reported that nine students and their relatives were among those killed on the ground.
NDTV quoted Ahmedabad Air Traffic Control as saying the pilot had issued a ‘mayday’ distress call soon after take-off, signalling a full emergency.
Mohol told NDTV the crash was a rare case and noted that both engines shutting down simultaneously was unprecedented. “Once the report comes, we will be able to ascertain if it was an engine problem, a fuel supply issue, or something else. The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) has the conversation between the pilots. It is too early to say anything, but the findings will be made public. The report will be ready in three months,” he said.
Dismissing suggestions that the black box would be analysed abroad, Mohol told NDTV that the device would remain with the AAIB. “It will not go anywhere. There is no need to send it outside. We will do the entire investigation,” he said.
Mohol acknowledged public concern following the crash but told NDTV that all 33 Dreamliner aircraft had been inspected by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and were found to be safe. “That is why I said it was a rare accident. People are no longer scared and are travelling comfortably,” he said.
According to NDTV, the minister also addressed other issues during the interaction, including 419 technical vacancies in the DGCA, concerns over pilot conditions in private airlines, and efforts to make air travel more affordable.
He said the DGCA would begin addressing the staffing gap soon. On airline hiring, he said, “No appointments can be made without the DGCA’s approval. Private airlines cannot take whoever they want.”
He also said private pilots who feel harassed over long working hours could approach the Civil Aviation Ministry. On reducing food prices at airports, Mohol told NDTV that Udaan Yatri Cafes offering water for Rs 10 and tea or samosas for Rs 20 had already opened at four to five airports and would gradually expand.
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