Indian AirSafety Audit Finds Multiple Lapses at Airlines
India’s aviation safety regulator found multiple aircraft-maintenance lapses in an audit of airlines and airports ordered after the crash of Air India flight AI171, including recurring defects that indicate inadequate monitoring and correction.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation identified non-functional ground-handling equipment like baggage trolleys during its monitoring of airports in New Delhi and Mumbai, along with maintenance practices such as tool control and work-order instructions that were not adhered to.
"The regulator stated that all findings noted during the monitoring have been conveyed to the relevant operators for implementing necessary corrective measures within seven days."
The results indicate an aviation safety culture in India that has not evolved alongside the industry's swift expansion. Among the shortcomings: Aircraft maintenance engineers overlooked safety protocols and notified issues for correction, while defect reports produced by the aircraft system were not documented in technical logbooks.
One domestic flight was delayed because inspectors noticed worn tires, while a flight simulator at a facility was not configured to align with the aircraft’s setup, and its software was outdated.
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The oversight — a component of the special audit disclosed following the June 12 accident in Ahmedabad — included flight operations, airworthiness, ramp safety, air traffic management, communication, navigation and surveillance systems, along with pre-flight medical assessments, according to the DGCA.
Except for one of the 242 individuals aboard the Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner, all perished, along with several dozen on the ground when it collided with a medical college's student hostel.
The DGCA reported that at one of the two airports — without specifying which — obstruction-limitation data has not been refreshed for three years, and no survey has taken place despite considerable new development close to the airport. Following the Ahmedabad crash, India has suggested legislation to tear down structures that surpass height limits.
It further stated that two teams under the direction of the Joint Director General conducted thorough surveillance at key airports, including Delhi and Mumbai, both at night and in the early morning.
In an effort to strengthen its control of Air India in the wake of the sad crash of a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner headed for London in Ahmedabad earlier this month, the DGCA has also begun a thorough examination of the airline's major base in Gurugram.
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Nearly 270 people, including 241 passengers and crew members, were killed in the catastrophe, which also led to a nationwide review of aviation safety procedures. An eight-person DGCA team has started the audit at the hub of the airline owned by the Tata Group, according to a source.