January 24, 2017 TnH Global

Air India shirks safety rules at Leh

Air India put the lives of its passengers at risk by not adhering to set operational rules at Leh airport, one of the most unsafe in the country. The matter came to light after a video showed an Air India flight turning towards the hills immediately after take-off.

While the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is investigating the matter, the national carrier has off rostered three pilots from flying to Leh, post the regulator’s investigation. “Air India is a little apprehensive about where the video has originated from. We would not like to comment on it because the DGCA is inquiring into it,” said an AI spokesperson.

Standard Operating Procedures to be followed at the Leh airport mandate airlines to turn right immediately after take-off so that airplanes can fly between the hills. Flying between hills also provides planes space to turn around in case there’s an engine failure during ascent. However, the video showed an Air India flight turning left immediately after takeoff, facing the hills, giving the plane no room to turn around in case of an engine failure. DGCA sources, when contacted, said that an inquiry is on.

“We received the video, which does not give us a date or day of the flight. So, we have started monitoring the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) of flights to Leh operated by Air India,” said a senior DGCA official, who did not want to be identified. He said that the DFDR will help ascertain whether the aircraft turned left or right. “However, it will be very difficult to detect if the case is a couple of years old, as airlines do not keep such old data,” he explained.

Leh is among one of the most difficult civilian airports in the country. While it is one of the highest airports in the world at an altitude of 3,256 metres (10,682 feet) above sea level, the flight path, which is between the mountains, adds to its complexity. Leh is also a ‘visual runway’, which means no instrument can be used either at the time of landing or take-off.

A source also said that action should be initiated against the pilot for making the video from the cockpit of the airplane. “Making videos while sitting in the cockpit of the aircraft, waiting for your turn to take off, is also an offence,” said the source.

A DGCA official, quoted above, said that an action can only be taken if one knows about the airline. “We need to know the airline and the pilot, who took the video, to initiate any action,” he said.

News Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com