New Delhi, February 28 The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Saturday released the preliminary report on the plane crash that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others at Baramati on January 28, and said that the visibility at the time of the crash was below the required level.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) highlighted the fading markings on the runway and the presence of loose gravels on the runway surface at Baramati, recommending that the regulator, DGCA, ensure that stakeholders maintain safety standards at uncontrolled airfields.
The 22-page report also mentioned that "Oh Sht... Oh Sht" were transmitted from the aircraft before it crash-landed on the left side of the runway at the Baramati airport.
The report also comes against the backdrop of concerns being raised about the crash of the VSR Ventures-owned Learjet 45 aircraft (VT-SSK) on January 28.
The AAIB said on Saturday that data from the Solid State Cockpit Voice Recorder (SSCVR) would be downloaded with the assistance of the US National Transport Safety Board (NTSB).
The CVR was damaged in the crash.
The report said that data downloaded from the Solid State Flight Data Recorder (SSFDR) is being analyzed.
On the day of the accident, the AAIB said that the tower was manned by a ground instructor of one of the FTO (Flying Training Organisation) who was communicating with the aircraft to assist the landing.
"The crew of VT-SSK requested visibility while approaching Baramati, for which the tower replied with 3,000 meters, based on the visibility markers," the report said.
"Further, while giving the landing clearance, the tower informed that the winds were calm. Therefore, the visibility reported at Baramati at the time of the aircraft's landing was well below the minimum required for VFR flight, which is 5,000 meters (5 km)," the report said.
The AAIB also said that the last runway resurfacing was carried out in March 2016, and that no further resurfacing had been done, which resulted in the fading of all runway markings and the presence of loose gravels on the runway surface.
"Records/information obtained from other stakeholders are currently being scrutinized… all aspects of the accident will be examined and investigated to bring out the facts, root cause(s), and contributory factor(s) leading to the accident," the report said.
In its safety recommendations, the AAIB said that operators of uncontrolled airfields should allow flying activities only when the prevailing MET (Meteorological) conditions are within the criteria laid down in the relevant regulations.
The agency said that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) may take necessary measures to enhance landing aids, along with basic MET (Meteorological) facilities, at uncontrolled airfields to cater for a large number of Non-Scheduled/chartered flying operations, including VIP flights.
"It is recommended that the DGCA may check the feasibility of licensing these aerodromes for the conduct of safe and regulated flying operations," the AAIB said in its safety recommendations.
Another suggestion is for the DGCA to issue necessary directions to all operators operating VFR flights to uncontrolled airfields to strictly adhere to the laid-down standard operating procedures.
"It is recommended that the DGCA may issue specific directions to all the stakeholders responsible for managing and maintaining the uncontrolled airfields to ensure that the required safety standards are maintained at the airport for safe aircraft operations," the AAIB said and added that compliance can be checked during audits and surveillance.
Apart from the safety recommendations, the AAIB, in a not-so-common practice, said that it may issue "safety recommendations at any stage of the investigation whenever it considers that necessary preventive measures are required to be taken promptly to enhance aviation safety."
