New Delhi: Agencies handling ground operations at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport are under lens of multiple probing agencies as part of the ongoing investigation into June 12 Air India flight AI 171 crash, according to a Times of India report.
The probe is being led by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). The AAIB is carrying out the investigation in coordination with Gujarat Police, Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). A parallel investigation has been initiated by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), with international aviation experts arriving at the crash site in Ahmedabad.
A source familiar with the probe reportedly said that all officials involved in ground handling operations for the Air India flight which crashed were quizzed, and their statements recorded. “Phones of key staff members who cleared the aircraft for take-off were seized for further examination,” the source added.
Currently, a thorough multi-agency investigation is in progress to ascertain the cause of the crash. Investigators have reportedly secured CCTV footage from the airport. On June 12, Air India Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed into a medical hostel soon after takeoff from airport, killing 241 lives out of the 242 people on board and over 30 on the ground.
Teams probing the crash have recovered the digital flight data recorder (DFDR) and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR). Officials from Boeing, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the NTSB, and UK-based aviation experts are currently present in Ahmedabad as part of the investigation.
