The DGCA has ordered safety inspections on Air India’s Boeing 787-8/9 fleet, a day after 241 people, including 12 crew members, were killed in the fatal Ahmedabad plane crash.
Ahmedabad Plane Crash: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Friday ordered safety inspections on Air India’s Boeing 787-8/9 fleet, a day after 241 people, including 12 crew members, were killed in the fatal Ahmedabad plane crash. In a statement, the civil aviation regulator said it has directed Air India to carry out additional maintenance actions on B787-8/9 aircraft equipped with Genx engines with immediate effect, in coordination with the concerned regional DGCA offices.
DGCA order enhanced checks for Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet
Additionally, starting Sunday, Air India has also been directed to conduct a one time check before departure of flight from India, including inspection of Fuel Parameter Monitoring and associated system checks; inspection of cabin air compressor and associated systems; Electronic Engine Control-System Test; Engine Fuel Driven Actuator-Operational Test and oil system check; Serviceability check of Hydraulic system; and Review of Take-off parameters, the regulator said.
The DGCA has also asked the Tata Group-owned airline to introduce ‘Flight Control Inspection’ in transit inspection till further notice. Further, Air India must also carry out power assurance checks within two weeks, and close maintenance actions as soon as possible based on the review of repetitive snags on B787-8/9 aircraft during the last 15 days, it said.
Air India must submit the reports of these checks to the DGCA for review.
Ahmedabad plane crash
An India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating as flight AI 171 from Ahmedabad to London, Gatwick, crashed shortly after take off on Thursday, killing 241 people on board, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. The lone survivor, identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment.
Veteran pilots with years of flying experience believe the accident could have happened due to the simultaneous failure of both engines of the aircraft, a rare occurrence but not something unheard of.
Black box recovered
On Friday, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Friday confirmed the recovery of the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), commonly referred to as the black box, from the rooftop of a building at the site of the Air India Flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation clarified that, contrary to unverified reports, a video recorder that had been recovered at the crash site was not the DFDR.
“Contrary to some reports, the video recorder being circulated is not the DFDR (Digital Flight Data Recorder). The black box was found on the rooftop. AAIB began work with full force immediately. Over 40 staff from the State Government joined efforts to augment MoCA teams on site. The DFDR has been recovered from the rooftop,” the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said in a statement.
The AAIB has launched a full-scale investigation into the crash, with over 40 staff from the Gujarat State Government joining efforts to support the Ministry of Civil Aviation teams on the ground.
The black box, a critical piece of evidence, will be analysed to determine the cause of the tragic crash that claimed the lives of 241 people onboard, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.
Investigation is underway, and the recovered DFDR is expected to provide vital insights into the events leading up to the disaster.
(With ANI inputs)
