The Air Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) is facing intense scrutiny over its burgeoning backlog of incomplete investigations, raising serious concerns about aviation safety and the timely implementation of preventive measures. The probe agency holds a poor record of completing investigations within the required time as it has failed to submit final reports in eight accidents and seven serious incidents despite taking more than double the allotted time to investigate.
Learjet 45 Tragedy Revisited
The tragic air crash of VSR Ventures-operated Learjet 45 in Baramati that killed Maharashtra’s Dy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others on Wednesday influenced the reminiscence of a previous accident of the same operator’s similar aircraft in 2023. Another Learjet 45, registered as VT-DBL, drifted off Mumbai Airport’s Runway 27 during heavy rain and low visibility on September 14, 2023. The high-impact accident fractured the aircraft’s fuselage into two segments but all the passengers survived.
Final Report Still Pending
Notably, after more than 28 months of the incident, AAIB is yet to submit the final report into the accident. Notably, AAIB is required to release a final report within 12 months of the incident according to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 13.
Delays Not Isolated Cases
However, this is not an isolated case. An analysis carried out by The Free Press Journal into AAIB’s recent investigation record highlighted that the body has failed to submit final reports in eight crash accidents and seven serious incidents. Some of these incidents date back to as early as 2023, highlighting more than two years of delay in filing the final report.
Multiple Pending Accidents
While VT-DBL’s crash at Mumbai Airport is the oldest pending case in the list, two accidents of training aircraft VT-RBT and VT-RBC in Baramati in October 2023 still remain unsolved. Other cases include accidents of VT-MPU at Mahad Helipad in May 2024, VT-TAJ near Jamshedpur, VT-GVI in Paund near Pune and VT-BBB at Guna Airport, all three in August 2024.
Serious Incidents Await Reports
Similarly, serious incidents reported with VT-RBT in Baramati in October 2023, VT-IUO and VT-ISO in November 2023, VT-ATF in Bengaluru and VT-CLR at Kedarnath Helipad in May 2024 as well as VT-RKF in Bhubaneshwar in October 2024 are awaiting final report from AAIB.
Interim Reports Rarely Submitted
While the investigating agency is required to release an interim report annually if the final report cannot be completed in the required timeframe, AAIB has submitted interim report in only one case of VT-EVV that crashed in Bavdhan near Pune while on its way to Juhu Airport, resulting in the death of all three people on-board.
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Reports Aim To Prevent Tragedies
Aviation experts have highlighted that the primary purpose of an accident report is not to assign blame, but to identify systemic failures and issue safety recommendations that prevent a recurrence. Critically, if a specific component or procedure is found to be faulty in an ongoing investigation, other airlines may remain unaware of the danger until the final report is published – leaving the door open for a repeat tragedy.
Families Await Closure
Experts say that the human cost of these delays is also often forgotten as for the families of those lost in aviation tragedies, the final report represents the only official path to closure. Furthermore, insurance claims and legal proceedings are frequently stalled pending the release of the final AAIB document. Notably, industry experts have been calling for a complete overhaul of the AAIB’s reporting structure, suggesting a move toward a more independent model similar to the NTSB in the United States or the AAIB in the UK.
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