Mumbai, March 27: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has recommended the establishment of a standard operating procedure (SOP) to clearly define the roles of the AAIB and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) during the critical ‘pre-categorisation’ phase of aviation occurrences.
The recommendation was formalised as a part of the final investigation report investigating a serious engine fire incident involving an Air India Express aircraft, which investigators traced back to a persistent oil leak.
Engine fire incident triggers safety review
The investigation centred on an occurrence involving an Air India Express aircraft, registered as VT-ATF, where the crew was forced to return to Bengaluru Airport soon after take-off due to a fire in one of the engines on May 18, 2024.
The report observed that the engine parameters in the cockpit did not show abnormalities, but the crew and passengers reported flames bursting from the right engine. After declaring MAYDAY, the crew returned the aircraft to Bengaluru Airport, where the firemen extinguished the flames.
Oil leak identified as probable cause
According to the AAIB’s findings, the most probable cause of the fire was leakage of lubricating oil into the exhaust system, where it ignited under prevailing conditions of temperature and airflow within the exhaust.
“The failure of the no. 4 bearing subsequently caused heavy wear of the aft sump abradable sealing area and associated rotor imbalance, leading to lubricating oil leakage into the exhaust system and subsequent fire,” the report stated.
Call for SOP to avoid overlap between agencies
In its safety recommendations, which are considered to be the most important part of an aviation investigation report, the AAIB called for an SOP to delineate the roles and responsibilities of the aviation regulator and the aviation accident investigator.
It noted that while the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Rules provide a framework, practical gaps remain. Since the AAIB was carved out of the DGCA’s Safety Directorate in 2012, the transition of power has occasionally led to parallel investigations and duplication of effort.
Need for clarity in initial response phase
To rectify this, the AAIB proposed formalising the ‘pre-categorisation’ SOP, emphasising that the absence of defined procedures during the initial response phase risks compromising evidence and violating confidentiality.
The proposed SOP would clearly define what the DGCA and AAIB should do the moment a notification is received and create a methodology for the orderly transfer of evidence, data and factual material collected during the initial response.
Review of civil aviation requirements recommended
The report further recommended a review of the Air Safety Series of the Civil Aviation Requirements of 2022 to ensure full alignment with the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Rules of 2025.
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The objective of the revision is to remove all overlaps and potential conflicts between the two bodies, to recognise that investigative functions for accidents and serious incidents rest exclusively with the AAIB, and to limit the DGCA’s role, which “remains confined to regulatory oversight, immediate safety actions, and implementation of safety recommendations.”
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