India denies entry to UN aviation investigator in Air India crash probe, say sources
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The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad, India, killed 260 people on June 12.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
- India rejected a UN investigator's offer to assist with the Air India jet crash probe, despite ICAO's unusual offer of assistance.
- Safety experts criticised delays in analysing the black box data, raising concerns about adherence to "Annex 13" protocols.
- The Indian government stated it is "following all the ICAO protocols" though questions remain about transparency and investigation details.
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NEW DELHI – India would not allow a UN investigator to join a probe of a crashed Air India jet that some safety experts had criticised for delays in analysis of crucial black box data, two senior sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Earlier this week, the UN aviation agency took the unusual step of offering India one of its investigators to provide assistance following the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash,
Previously, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has deployed investigators to help with certain probes, such as the downing of a Malaysian plane in 2014 and a Ukrainian jetliner in 2020, but in those instances, the agency had been asked for assistance.
ICAO had asked for the investigator who was in India to be given observer status, but Indian authorities refused the offer, the sources said.
The news was first reported on June 26 by the Indian news channel Times Now.
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, which is leading the probe into the world’s deadliest aviation accident in a decade, did not return a request for comment.
ICAO was not immediately available for comment.
India’s Civil Aviation Ministry said on June 26 that investigators downloaded flight recorder data around two weeks after the crash.
Previously, safety experts had questioned a lack of information about the probe, including the status of the combined black box unit recovered on June 13, along with a second set that was found on June 16.
A police officer standing in front of the wreckage of the Air India aircraft that crashed during take-off from an airport in Ahmedabad, India, on June 12.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Questions were also raised on whether the recorders would be read in India or in the US, since the US National Transportation Safety Board is participating in the investigation. The Indian government held only one press conference on the incident, and no questions were taken.
Under international rules known throughout the industry by their legal name “Annex 13”, the decision of where to read flight recorders should be made immediately, in case the evidence obtained could avert future tragedies.
Earlier this week, an Indian Aviation Ministry official who declined to be named said the department has been “following all the ICAO protocols”.
The official added that media representatives have made updates on important events.
Most air crashes are caused by multiple factors, with a preliminary report expected about 30 days after the accident. REUTERS
