MALAPPURAM: An Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau report has revealed that the pilot’s non-adherence to the standard operating procedure was the probable cause of the Air India Express plane crash at the Kozhikode airport last year. The report also says the role of systemic failures as contributory factors cannot be ruled out.
The 257-page report points out a series of SOP violations from the pilots and errors from the whole air operation system, which includes the airline and the airport. As per the findings, pilot in command (PIC), Deepak Sathe, and pilot monitoring (PM), Akhilesh Kumar, tried to land the aircraft -- AXB 1344 -- twice at the airport. First on runway 28 and then on runway 10.
The first attempt failed because of bad weather. During the second attempt, the aircraft exited runway 10 at 84 nautical miles per hour, and then overshot the RESA (runway end safety area), breaking the instrument landing system (ILS) antennae and a fence before plummeting down the tabletop runway, the report said.
While 21 people, including the two pilots, were killed in the accident, over 150 passengers sustained injuries. “During the approach to Kozhikode runway 28, the pilot in command did not brief or discuss the Landing Distance Available (LDA) and made the Landing Flaps and Auto-brake selection setting without considering this important aspect in violation of SOP.
Before the approach for runway 10 as well, the pilot in command did not carry out adequate briefing for landing with tailwinds, in the rain, and poor visibility. The mandatory calculation of landing distances was omitted. Alternate airfields most suited for diversions in case of a second missed approach under the prevailing weather conditions and unserviceable windshield wiper were not covered during the briefing. This was a violation of SOP. The error magnified on this approach as the landing was made in strong tailwind condition on a wet tabletop runway in active rain,” the report said.
Though the aircraft carried enough fuel to fly to a nearby airport where weather conditions were suitable for landing, the pilot did not choose that option. The report also identified a lack of facilities at the airport and other systemic errors including the tight schedules of the pilots. Airport director R Mahalingam told TNIE that adequate measures would be taken to improve the facilities at the airport after studying the AAIB report.