Air India Express Flight 812
Encyclopedia
Air India Express Flight 812 was a scheduled passenger service from Dubai
to Mangalore
which at around 01:00 UTC on 22 May 2010, overshot the runway on landing, fell over a cliff and caught fire, spreading wreckage across the surrounding hillside. Of the 160 passengers and six crew members on board, only eight passengers survived.
With its 158 fatalities, the accident was the third deadliest aviation disaster in India, after the 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision which killed 349, and the 1978 crash of Air India Flight 855
, which killed 213. It marked the first major Indian aviation accident since the July 2000 crash of Alliance Air Flight 7412
in Patna
. At the time, the accident was the deadliest crash of a 737 aircraft (all series) and the eighth hull loss of a aircraft. The crash caused the highest number of aviation fatalities in 2010 and was the second of the year to involve a 737–800. It was also the second time that an aircraft had overshot the runway at Mangalore.
aircraft, one of Boeing's 737 Next Generation series, with aircraft registration
VT–AXV and manufacturer's serial number 36333, line number 2481. The aircraft first flew on 20 December 2007 with the Boeing test registration N1787B and was delivered on 18 January 2008. Commanded by Captain Zlatko Glušica, the remaining crew consisted of first officer H.S. Ahluwalia and four cabin attendants. Glušica (a former employee of Jat Airways
), a British and Serbian national with over 10,000 hours of flying and over 7,500 hours of command experience, and Ahluwalia (a former employee of Jet Airways
who joined Air India
in April 2009) were both killed in the incident. Both pilots were based in Mangalore.
in Dubai, the plane crashed upon landing on the 8033 feet (2,448.5 m) runway number 06/24 at Mangalore International Airport at around 01:00 UTC. Situated in a hilly area, the airport is one of seven Indian airports designated as a "critical airfield" by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). DGCA rules at critical airfields prohibit "supervised take offs and landings", so that only the captain (not the first officer) may pilot an aircraft during take-off and landing. The airport is one of three airports in India having table top runway
s (the others being Kozhikode
and Lengpui
) that require a very precise landing approach.
(ATC) and the pilot prior to the landing showed no indication of distress.
The then Civil Aviation Minister
, Praful Patel
said that the aircraft was following an Instrument landing system
(ILS) approach for landing on the newer runway, which was commissioned in 2006. The pilot reported to ATC that it was 'established' on an ILS approach about 4.3 miles (6.9 km) from touchdown; landing clearance was then given at 2000 feet (609.6 m) from touchdown. The aeroplane concluded its ILS approach on runway 24, touching down 300 feet (91.4 m) past the touch down zone, then overran the runway and ploughed through a 90 metres (295.3 ft) sand arrestor bed which did not stop it. As the aircraft passed the arrestor bed, its starboard wing collided with the concrete socket of the ILS localizer antenna; it then plunged over the cliff and on to the hillside coming to a stop 660 to 980 ft (201.2 to 298.7 m) metres past the top of the slope.
"The plane broke in two" said one survivor "and a dense black smoke invaded the cabin. I jumped out through an opening in the window. Six other passengers followed me. We fled, with the help of the inhabitants of the nearby village". Television footage from shortly after the crash showed the remains of the aircraft on fire and lying on its belly with smoke rising from the wreckage. The minister also stated that weather conditions were normal with a visibility of 3.7 miles (6 km), and said wind conditions were calm and there was no rain at the time of the crash. A drizzle started only after the accident. Initial reports from survivors suggested a tyre burst as the aircraft attempted a go-around
.
Home Minister V. S. Acharya
said eight people were initially reported to have survived, although one person died of his injuries – this was however refuted by an Air India spokesman who confirmed that all initial survivors were alive. This confusion arose after fire fighters rescued a little girl who died on the way to hospital. The airport manager at Mangalore, Peter Abraham confirmed that there were difficulties when trying to reach the plane.
On 27 July 2010, the names of all the victims were inscribed on a memorial installed near the crash site which was destroyed by vandals on 5 October 2010.
sent 150 personnel to Mangalore to help in the relief and rescue operations. Bodies of all of the deceased were recovered from the crash site on the day of the crash, with relatives of the deceased receiving 87 of the bodies.
After the rapid establishment of a special emergency information service, Praful Patel, Indian Civil Aviation minister, arrived from New Delhi to be at the scene and the one-year-in-office celebrations of the UPA government
's second tenure were postponed. Patel was soon followed by Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa and Kerala Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan
to take control of the situation. The chairperson of the governing UPA, Sonia Gandhi
issued a message of grief and wished a "speedy recovery" to all. The Indian Minister for Civil Aviation
, Praful Patel, took moral responsibility for the accident and offered to resign his post, an offer rejected by the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh
. Many countries and organisations expressed sorrow and condolences to the people of India over the crash. The accident was predicted to cost the insurers, and their reinsurers
. Air India's insurance company paid out in settlement of the hull loss, and the company had already received , that is 60% of the estimated .
were rushed to the scene to investigate the incident and assist with rescue efforts. Boeing
also announced that a team would be sent to provide technical assistance following a request from Indian authorities. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation ordered an inquiry into the crash, which began the same day. The NTSB
also assisted the investigation by sending a team of specialists including a senior air safety investigator, a flight operations specialist, an aircraft systems specialist and technical advisers for Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration
.
According to audio transcripts obtained from ATC, Serbian pilot Zlatko Glušica, aged 55, was given clearance to land, however, he suddenly aborted the attempted landing. The aircraft's throttle handle was reportedly found in the forward position, suggesting that the pilot had attempted to abort the landing and take off again. According to unnamed ATC sources at Mangalore, the co-pilot Ahluwalia was said to have warned his commander more than once to go around instead of landing, and that this warning had come at a height of 800 feet (243.8 m), well before the aircraft made a touch down.
The cockpit voice recorder
(CVR) was recovered on 23 May, and the flight data recorder
(FDR) two days later. The recorders were sent to New Delhi by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for data acquisition and analysis and subsequently to the US NTSB for investigation. DGCA official Zaidi claimed "better data protection" while unnamed officials mentioned heavy damage to the devices. In direct response to the accident the Government of India decided to set up an independent air accident enquiry board called the Civil Aviation Authority that would function independently of the DGCA. Effectively this meant that the DGCA would be the regulator and the CAA the investigator. The Director General of the DGCA said that it would be set up though legislation
, and would comply with the recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization
.
The enquiry report submitted by the Civil Aviation Ministry claimed that the Glusica slept for over 90 minutes during the flight. The Air India Express IC 812 carrying 166 people from Dubai including the crew, crashed while negotiating a tricky landing at Mangalore city's "table-top" airport overlooking a ravine. The American National Transportation Safety Board says it was the first instance of snoring recorded on a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). Analysis of the accident revealed that had the pilot "deployed détente reverse thrust and applied maximum manual braking at touchdown", the aircraft could have been stopped within the paved overrun area of the runway. The captain had exacerbated the long landing by attempting a go-around following deployment of the thrust reversers.
to investigate the air crash. The "Gokhale Inquiry" was to investigate the reasons behind the crash, and submit its findings by 31 August 2010, a deadline later extended by a month to 30 September 2010. The Government also appointed four experts to this Court of Inquiry to assist in the investigation. The Court of Inquiry started its investigations by visiting the crash site on 7 June 2010, and visited all eight crash survivors to gather information.
On 17 August 2010, the Court of Inquiry began a three day public hearing in Mangalore to interview airport officials and witnesses. On day one, airport and airline officials deposed that the aircraft had approached at an altitude higher than usual, and that it had landed beyond the landing zone (LDZ). They also mentioned that the airport's radar was operational from 20 May 2010. The airport chief fire officer testified that crash tenders had taken four minutes to reach the aircraft because the road leading away from the airport perimeter to the crash site was very narrow and undulating. On day two transcript of the cockpit to ATC conversation was released, which indicated that the co-pilot had suggested a "go around" after the pilot informed ATC that it was 'clear to land'.
Doctors who conducted post mortems on the bodies recovered recorded that most victims had died of burns. On day four Air India's flight safety officer informed the inquiry that the aircraft's thrust lever and thrust reverse levers were both in the forward position, possibly indicating that the pilot intended to go around. The inquiry panel stated that information from the FDR would be released at the next hearing of the Court of Inquiry in New Delhi on 3 September 2010, and that of the CVR soon after. The Court of Inquiry would submit its report on 30 September 2010.
On 8 September 2010, details from the CVR and FDR were presented to the Court of Inquiry. The CVR analysis revealed that one of the pilots was asleep in the cockpit. For 110 minutes the CVR had picked up no conversation from the pilots, with the report adding that the sound of nasal snoring and deep breathing could be heard during this recording. The FDR analysis indicated that the flight started its descent at an altitude of 4400 feet (1,341.1 m), instead of the normal 2000 feet (609.6 m). The aircraft also touched down at the 4638 feet (1,413.7 m) mark on the runway instead of the 1000 feet (304.8 m) mark, whereupon the pilot then tried to take off with just 800 feet (243.8 m) of the runway remaining which resulted in the crash. Both pilots had been aware of the wrong flight path since they are both heard saying "Flight is taking wrong path and wrong side", while the aircraft's instruments had given repeated warnings of this.
On 16 November 2010, five months after the Court of Inquiry was constituted, it submitted its report with input from the NTSB and Boeing, and stated that pilot error was the cause of the accident since the flight path was incorrect.
announced or €3,390) for the families of the dead and for the injured to be allocated from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund
. Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddyurappa has also announced compensation of to the families of the dead. In addition to this, the Civil Aviation Ministry advised that the Airline will provide up to to family members of each victim as per the provisions of the Indian Carriage by Air (Amendment) Act which follows the Montreal Convention
.
The Airline announced interim compensation of for passengers above 12 years of age, for passengers below 12 years of age and for every injured passenger. This compensation is over and above the ex-gratia payment announced by the Prime Minister. Additionally, Air India has said it would offer jobs to the survivors. As of 11 June 2010 an amount of had been distributed as compensation to the families of the victims and to the eight survivors. Victims' families have become increasingly vocal as to the inequitable nature of compensation paid out by Air India, and also of the alleged hostile attitude of the airline's counsel.
Members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India
(DYFI) along with Kasargod MP
P Karunkaran staged a protest on 8 September 2010 at the airline's office in Mangalore where they submitted a memorandum to officials demanding that families of the victims receive early and equitable settlements of compensation due. They also demanded the settlement process be made more transparent by opening it to the media rather than holding sessions in camera
.
On 20 July 2011, the Kerala High Court based on the petition filed by one of the victims ruled that Air India was liable to pay a no fault liability of one lakh SDR
or the Indian rupee equivalent of . In its ruling the court noted that India was a signatory to the Montreal Convention
, "It is clear that the intention of lawmakers was to bring about a parity in the matter of payment of compensation to the passengers, irrespective of class of travel, while providing for a 'two tier system' of compensation as adopted in Montreal convention." The court further ruled that this was over and above any other compensation that the petitioners are entitled to. Air India appealed this order in the Kerala High Court and on 25 August 2011 the division bench stayed the single bench order on compensation of . However on 5 September 2011 based on a petition by the relations of one of the deceased passengers the Kerala High Court order Air India to pay an interim compensation of .
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
to Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
which at around 01:00 UTC on 22 May 2010, overshot the runway on landing, fell over a cliff and caught fire, spreading wreckage across the surrounding hillside. Of the 160 passengers and six crew members on board, only eight passengers survived.
With its 158 fatalities, the accident was the third deadliest aviation disaster in India, after the 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision which killed 349, and the 1978 crash of Air India Flight 855
Air India Flight 855
Air India Flight 855 was a scheduled passenger flight that crashed during the evening of 1 January 1978 about off the coast of Bandra, Bombay , India. All 213 lives on board were lost...
, which killed 213. It marked the first major Indian aviation accident since the July 2000 crash of Alliance Air Flight 7412
Alliance Air Flight 7412
Alliance Air Flight 7412 departed Calcutta at 06:51 on July 17, 2000, for a flight to Delhi, with stops at Patna and Lucknow. The crew had been cleared to land at runway 25 at Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport at Patna when the pilots requested a 360-degree orbit due to the flight being high on the...
in Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
. At the time, the accident was the deadliest crash of a 737 aircraft (all series) and the eighth hull loss of a aircraft. The crash caused the highest number of aviation fatalities in 2010 and was the second of the year to involve a 737–800. It was also the second time that an aircraft had overshot the runway at Mangalore.
Flight history
The accident involved a Boeing 737-8NGBoeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
aircraft, one of Boeing's 737 Next Generation series, with aircraft registration
Aircraft registration
An aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
VT–AXV and manufacturer's serial number 36333, line number 2481. The aircraft first flew on 20 December 2007 with the Boeing test registration N1787B and was delivered on 18 January 2008. Commanded by Captain Zlatko Glušica, the remaining crew consisted of first officer H.S. Ahluwalia and four cabin attendants. Glušica (a former employee of Jat Airways
Jat Airways
Jat Airways is the national airline of Serbia and the former national airline of Yugoslavia, and has its head office in the Jat Airways Business Center in Belgrade. It was established in 1927 as Aeroput, making it currently one of the world's oldest airlines still in operation...
), a British and Serbian national with over 10,000 hours of flying and over 7,500 hours of command experience, and Ahluwalia (a former employee of Jet Airways
Jet Airways
Jet Airways is a major Indian airline based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is India's largest airline and the market leader in the domestic sector. It operates over 400 flights daily to 76 destinations worldwide. Its main hub is Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, with secondary hubs at Delhi,...
who joined Air India
Air India
Air India is the flag carrier airline of India. It is part of the government of India owned Air India Limited . The airline operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft serving Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. Its corporate office is located at the Air India Building at Nariman...
in April 2009) were both killed in the incident. Both pilots were based in Mangalore.
Flight
Following its scheduled departure time of 22:35 (UTC) from Dubai International AirportDubai International Airport
Dubai International Airport is an international airport serving Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. It is a major aviation hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. It is situated in the Al Garhoud district, southeast of Dubai...
in Dubai, the plane crashed upon landing on the 8033 feet (2,448.5 m) runway number 06/24 at Mangalore International Airport at around 01:00 UTC. Situated in a hilly area, the airport is one of seven Indian airports designated as a "critical airfield" by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). DGCA rules at critical airfields prohibit "supervised take offs and landings", so that only the captain (not the first officer) may pilot an aircraft during take-off and landing. The airport is one of three airports in India having table top runway
Tabletop runway
A tabletop runway is a runway that is located on the top of a plateau with either end stopping abruptly and dropping into deep gorges. These type of runways create an optical illusion that requires a very precise approach from the pilot....
s (the others being Kozhikode
Calicut International Airport
Calicut International Airport , also known as Karipur Airport, is an International Airport serving the city of Kozhikode , Kerala, India. The airport is located in Karipur, Malappuram district about from the Kozhikode Railway Station and from the city of Malappuram, with the closest railway...
and Lengpui
Lengpui Airport
Lengpui Airport is an airport in Aizawl, Mizoram, India.The airport is connected by daily flights with Kolkata and Guwahati and three flights a week with Imphal and is located at a distance of 32 km from Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram...
) that require a very precise landing approach.
Crash
After touching down, the plane overran runway 06/24 and crashed down the hill at its far end. The final conversations between Air traffic controlAir traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
(ATC) and the pilot prior to the landing showed no indication of distress.
The then Civil Aviation Minister
Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)
The Ministry of Civil Aviation, India is responsible for the regulation of civil aviation in India.-References:**...
, Praful Patel
Praful Patel
Praful Manoharbhai Patel is a Member of Parliament of the Lok Sabha of India. He represents the Bhandara-Gondia parliamentary constituency and is a member of the Nationalist Congress Party...
said that the aircraft was following an Instrument landing system
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
(ILS) approach for landing on the newer runway, which was commissioned in 2006. The pilot reported to ATC that it was 'established' on an ILS approach about 4.3 miles (6.9 km) from touchdown; landing clearance was then given at 2000 feet (609.6 m) from touchdown. The aeroplane concluded its ILS approach on runway 24, touching down 300 feet (91.4 m) past the touch down zone, then overran the runway and ploughed through a 90 metres (295.3 ft) sand arrestor bed which did not stop it. As the aircraft passed the arrestor bed, its starboard wing collided with the concrete socket of the ILS localizer antenna; it then plunged over the cliff and on to the hillside coming to a stop 660 to 980 ft (201.2 to 298.7 m) metres past the top of the slope.
"The plane broke in two" said one survivor "and a dense black smoke invaded the cabin. I jumped out through an opening in the window. Six other passengers followed me. We fled, with the help of the inhabitants of the nearby village". Television footage from shortly after the crash showed the remains of the aircraft on fire and lying on its belly with smoke rising from the wreckage. The minister also stated that weather conditions were normal with a visibility of 3.7 miles (6 km), and said wind conditions were calm and there was no rain at the time of the crash. A drizzle started only after the accident. Initial reports from survivors suggested a tyre burst as the aircraft attempted a go-around
Go-around
A go-around is an aborted landing of an aircraft that is on final approach.- Origin of the term :The term arises from the traditional use of traffic patterns at airfields. A landing aircraft will first join the circuit pattern and prepare for landing in an orderly fashion...
.
Victims
Apart from the six crew members, a total of 160 passengers were on board at the time of the crash. Although there were 169 names on the original passenger list, nine did not board the flight. All the bodies were recovered from the wreckage. KarnatakaKarnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
Home Minister V. S. Acharya
V. S. Acharya
Dr. Vedavyas Srinivas Acharya is a senior BJP leader of Karnataka state. He is presently the Higher education Minister in the Government of Karnataka Formerly he had served as minister of medical education and animal husbandry in the BJP-JDS coalition government. He is a native of Udupi and a...
said eight people were initially reported to have survived, although one person died of his injuries – this was however refuted by an Air India spokesman who confirmed that all initial survivors were alive. This confusion arose after fire fighters rescued a little girl who died on the way to hospital. The airport manager at Mangalore, Peter Abraham confirmed that there were difficulties when trying to reach the plane.
| Nationality | Fatalities | Survivors | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passengers | Crew | |||
 Bangladesh |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 India |
152 | 5 | 7 | 164 |
 Serbia and  United Kingdom |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 152 | 6 | 8 | 166 |
On 27 July 2010, the names of all the victims were inscribed on a memorial installed near the crash site which was destroyed by vandals on 5 October 2010.
Rescue and response
Local villagers were among the first on the scene to help while an estimated 15 fire trucks, 20 ambulances and 100 rescue workers were immediately allocated to rescue operations. Karnataka Western Range Inspector General of Police, Gopal Hosur, said that eight to ten people had been moved to hospitals, and that the Karnataka Police force, bomb squad, Karnataka Fire & Emergency Services, Karnataka State Reserve Police and all hospitals were working together to help out. The Central Industrial Security ForceCentral Industrial Security Force
The Central Industrial Security Force is a Central Armed Police Force in India.It was set up under an Act of the Parliament of India on March 10, 1969 with a strength of 2,800. CISF was subsequently made an armed force of the Union of India by another Act of Parliament passed on June 15, 1983. Its...
sent 150 personnel to Mangalore to help in the relief and rescue operations. Bodies of all of the deceased were recovered from the crash site on the day of the crash, with relatives of the deceased receiving 87 of the bodies.
After the rapid establishment of a special emergency information service, Praful Patel, Indian Civil Aviation minister, arrived from New Delhi to be at the scene and the one-year-in-office celebrations of the UPA government
United Progressive Alliance
The United Progressive Alliance is a ruling coalition of center-left political parties heading the government of India. The coalition is led by the Indian National Congress , which is currently the single largest political party in the Lok Sabha...
's second tenure were postponed. Patel was soon followed by Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa and Kerala Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan
V. S. Achuthanandan
Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan is an Indian politician and a former Chief Minister of the state of Kerala. He had been a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of India since 1985, and until July 2009, when he was reverted to the Central Committee of the party owing to his...
to take control of the situation. The chairperson of the governing UPA, Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi is an Italian-born Indian politician and the President of the Indian National Congress, one of the major political parties of India. She is the widow of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi...
issued a message of grief and wished a "speedy recovery" to all. The Indian Minister for Civil Aviation
Secretary of State for Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
, Praful Patel, took moral responsibility for the accident and offered to resign his post, an offer rejected by the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
. Many countries and organisations expressed sorrow and condolences to the people of India over the crash. The accident was predicted to cost the insurers, and their reinsurers
Reinsurance
Reinsurance is insurance that is purchased by an insurance company from another insurance company as a means of risk management...
. Air India's insurance company paid out in settlement of the hull loss, and the company had already received , that is 60% of the estimated .
Investigation
Initial investigations revealed that the plane landed about 2000 feet (609.6 m) beyond the usual touch down point on Mangalore's new 8040 feet (2,450.6 m) runway 24. A team of airline officials and staff from the Airports Authority of IndiaAirports Authority of India
The Airports Authority of India is an organization working under the Ministry of Civil Aviation that manages most of the airports in India. The AAI manages and operates 126 airports including 16 international airports, 89 domestic airports and 26 civil enclaves. The corporate headquarters are at...
were rushed to the scene to investigate the incident and assist with rescue efforts. Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
also announced that a team would be sent to provide technical assistance following a request from Indian authorities. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation ordered an inquiry into the crash, which began the same day. The NTSB
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
also assisted the investigation by sending a team of specialists including a senior air safety investigator, a flight operations specialist, an aircraft systems specialist and technical advisers for Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
.
According to audio transcripts obtained from ATC, Serbian pilot Zlatko Glušica, aged 55, was given clearance to land, however, he suddenly aborted the attempted landing. The aircraft's throttle handle was reportedly found in the forward position, suggesting that the pilot had attempted to abort the landing and take off again. According to unnamed ATC sources at Mangalore, the co-pilot Ahluwalia was said to have warned his commander more than once to go around instead of landing, and that this warning had come at a height of 800 feet (243.8 m), well before the aircraft made a touch down.
The cockpit voice recorder
Cockpit voice recorder
A cockpit voice recorder , often referred to as a "black box", is a flight recorder used to record the audio environment in the flight deck of an aircraft for the purpose of investigation of accidents and incidents...
(CVR) was recovered on 23 May, and the flight data recorder
Flight data recorder
A flight data recorder is an electronic device employed to record any instructions sent to any electronic systems on an aircraft. It is a device used to record specific aircraft performance parameters...
(FDR) two days later. The recorders were sent to New Delhi by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for data acquisition and analysis and subsequently to the US NTSB for investigation. DGCA official Zaidi claimed "better data protection" while unnamed officials mentioned heavy damage to the devices. In direct response to the accident the Government of India decided to set up an independent air accident enquiry board called the Civil Aviation Authority that would function independently of the DGCA. Effectively this meant that the DGCA would be the regulator and the CAA the investigator. The Director General of the DGCA said that it would be set up though legislation
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
, and would comply with the recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization
International Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...
.
The enquiry report submitted by the Civil Aviation Ministry claimed that the Glusica slept for over 90 minutes during the flight. The Air India Express IC 812 carrying 166 people from Dubai including the crew, crashed while negotiating a tricky landing at Mangalore city's "table-top" airport overlooking a ravine. The American National Transportation Safety Board says it was the first instance of snoring recorded on a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). Analysis of the accident revealed that had the pilot "deployed détente reverse thrust and applied maximum manual braking at touchdown", the aircraft could have been stopped within the paved overrun area of the runway. The captain had exacerbated the long landing by attempting a go-around following deployment of the thrust reversers.
Court of Inquiry
On 3 June 2010, the Government of India appointed Former Vice Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Bhushan Nilkanth Gokhale as head of a Court of InquiryPublic inquiry
A Tribunal of Inquiry is an official review of events or actions ordered by a government body in Common Law countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland or Canada. Such a public inquiry differs from a Royal Commission in that a public inquiry accepts evidence and conducts its hearings in a more...
to investigate the air crash. The "Gokhale Inquiry" was to investigate the reasons behind the crash, and submit its findings by 31 August 2010, a deadline later extended by a month to 30 September 2010. The Government also appointed four experts to this Court of Inquiry to assist in the investigation. The Court of Inquiry started its investigations by visiting the crash site on 7 June 2010, and visited all eight crash survivors to gather information.
On 17 August 2010, the Court of Inquiry began a three day public hearing in Mangalore to interview airport officials and witnesses. On day one, airport and airline officials deposed that the aircraft had approached at an altitude higher than usual, and that it had landed beyond the landing zone (LDZ). They also mentioned that the airport's radar was operational from 20 May 2010. The airport chief fire officer testified that crash tenders had taken four minutes to reach the aircraft because the road leading away from the airport perimeter to the crash site was very narrow and undulating. On day two transcript of the cockpit to ATC conversation was released, which indicated that the co-pilot had suggested a "go around" after the pilot informed ATC that it was 'clear to land'.
Doctors who conducted post mortems on the bodies recovered recorded that most victims had died of burns. On day four Air India's flight safety officer informed the inquiry that the aircraft's thrust lever and thrust reverse levers were both in the forward position, possibly indicating that the pilot intended to go around. The inquiry panel stated that information from the FDR would be released at the next hearing of the Court of Inquiry in New Delhi on 3 September 2010, and that of the CVR soon after. The Court of Inquiry would submit its report on 30 September 2010.
On 8 September 2010, details from the CVR and FDR were presented to the Court of Inquiry. The CVR analysis revealed that one of the pilots was asleep in the cockpit. For 110 minutes the CVR had picked up no conversation from the pilots, with the report adding that the sound of nasal snoring and deep breathing could be heard during this recording. The FDR analysis indicated that the flight started its descent at an altitude of 4400 feet (1,341.1 m), instead of the normal 2000 feet (609.6 m). The aircraft also touched down at the 4638 feet (1,413.7 m) mark on the runway instead of the 1000 feet (304.8 m) mark, whereupon the pilot then tried to take off with just 800 feet (243.8 m) of the runway remaining which resulted in the crash. Both pilots had been aware of the wrong flight path since they are both heard saying "Flight is taking wrong path and wrong side", while the aircraft's instruments had given repeated warnings of this.
On 16 November 2010, five months after the Court of Inquiry was constituted, it submitted its report with input from the NTSB and Boeing, and stated that pilot error was the cause of the accident since the flight path was incorrect.
Compensation
The Prime Minister of India, Manmohan SinghManmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
announced or €3,390) for the families of the dead and for the injured to be allocated from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund
The Prime Minister's National Relief Fund
The Prime Minister's National Relief Fund is an Indian organization created shortly after Independence. It provides immediate relief to people in distress. The Fund depends entirely on voluntary donations received from the public....
. Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddyurappa has also announced compensation of to the families of the dead. In addition to this, the Civil Aviation Ministry advised that the Airline will provide up to to family members of each victim as per the provisions of the Indian Carriage by Air (Amendment) Act which follows the Montreal Convention
Montreal Convention
The Montreal Convention, formally the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air, is a treaty adopted by a Diplomatic meeting of ICAO member states in 1999. It amended important provisions of the Warsaw Convention's regime concerning compensation for the...
.
The Airline announced interim compensation of for passengers above 12 years of age, for passengers below 12 years of age and for every injured passenger. This compensation is over and above the ex-gratia payment announced by the Prime Minister. Additionally, Air India has said it would offer jobs to the survivors. As of 11 June 2010 an amount of had been distributed as compensation to the families of the victims and to the eight survivors. Victims' families have become increasingly vocal as to the inequitable nature of compensation paid out by Air India, and also of the alleged hostile attitude of the airline's counsel.
Members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India
Democratic Youth Federation of India
Democratic Youth Federation of India , is an Indian left-wing youth organization founded in 1980. DYFI, as it is popularly known, is politically linked to the Communist Party of India .The current general secretary of DYFI is Tapas Sinha and the president is P...
(DYFI) along with Kasargod MP
Parliament of India
The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...
P Karunkaran staged a protest on 8 September 2010 at the airline's office in Mangalore where they submitted a memorandum to officials demanding that families of the victims receive early and equitable settlements of compensation due. They also demanded the settlement process be made more transparent by opening it to the media rather than holding sessions in camera
In camera
In camera is a legal term meaning "in private". It is also sometimes termed in chambers or in curia.In camera describes court cases that the public and press are not admitted to...
.
On 20 July 2011, the Kerala High Court based on the petition filed by one of the victims ruled that Air India was liable to pay a no fault liability of one lakh SDR
Special Drawing Rights
Special Drawing Rights are supplementary foreign exchange reserve assets defined and maintained by the International Monetary Fund . Not a currency, SDRs instead represent a claim to currency held by IMF member countries for which they may be exchanged...
or the Indian rupee equivalent of . In its ruling the court noted that India was a signatory to the Montreal Convention
Montreal Convention
The Montreal Convention, formally the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air, is a treaty adopted by a Diplomatic meeting of ICAO member states in 1999. It amended important provisions of the Warsaw Convention's regime concerning compensation for the...
, "It is clear that the intention of lawmakers was to bring about a parity in the matter of payment of compensation to the passengers, irrespective of class of travel, while providing for a 'two tier system' of compensation as adopted in Montreal convention." The court further ruled that this was over and above any other compensation that the petitioners are entitled to. Air India appealed this order in the Kerala High Court and on 25 August 2011 the division bench stayed the single bench order on compensation of . However on 5 September 2011 based on a petition by the relations of one of the deceased passengers the Kerala High Court order Air India to pay an interim compensation of .
See also
- Indian Airlines Flight 557Indian Airlines Flight 557Indian Airlines Flight 557 was a domestic scheduled passenger flight from Bangalore to Mangalore which overran the runway at Mangalore Bajpe Airport.-Accident:...
, an aircraft that overshot the runway at the same airport in 1981