It’s time to ensure safer skies

Context:

Various PILs have been submitted in various courts regarding the clarification that in constructing the Airport, the Government shall comply with all applicable laws and also with environmental norms.

No lessons learned:

• The government agencies did not comply with laws or norms, and several violations led to the loss of 158 lives on May 22, 2010, when AIE 812 crashed on landing in Mangalore. 
• The cover-up report, which contained a well-orchestrated litany of lies, resulted in lessons not being learned to prevent a recurrence.

The cardinal principle of an accident investigation:

• It is to identify the cause and prevent recurrence. 
• India has had a string of runway overruns due to high and fast approaches and late touchdowns, resulting in hull losses. 
• In various shocking accidents, the pilots were blamed but there was no introspection on why investigations had failed to prevent such accidents from recurring, indicating a lack of accountability and transparency in the system. 

The Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Council (CASAC):

• The Ministry of Civil Aviation constituted the Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Council (CASAC) after the Mangalore crash. 
• Members of operations, aerodromes and Air Traffic Control (ATC) were tasked with identifying deficiencies and providing corrective steps. 
• The CASAC pointed out the failure of the court of inquiry report in identifying serious errors and taking corrective steps. 

Warnings by CASAC:

• The CASAC warned the Ministry that the failure to provide the mandatory Runway End Safety Areas (RESA) at Calicut could result in fatal accidents on Runway 10 if any aircraft touched down late at high speed. 
• The narrow service road would prevent quick rescue by rescue and firefighting vehicles. 
  • But the Ministry and the DGCA ignored our warnings. 

Issues:

• When the same errors cause accidents over years, it means that there are serious deficiencies in training, problems with the safety audits by the DGCA.
• The investigation agencies have failed in identifying the reasons for such accidents and providing corrective steps. 
• Our airports are not conforming to international safety standards. 
• There is no transparency or accountability. 
• Fatigue, another serious safety issue, is not given the importance it deserves.

Conclusion:

Unless occupational safety and training are given top priority, the skies are not going to be safe.                                                                                                               News Source: The Hindu