Need to have flight recorders lab, permanent aviation medicine specialist: AAIB

New Delhi: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has suggested strengthening its own capacity in terms of filling up vacancies with full-time investigators, having a permanent aviation medicine specialist and establishing a state-of-the-art lab for flight recorders.

These are part of the recommendations made by AAIB in its final investigation report into the deadly crash of an Air India Express Boeing plane at Kozhikode airport in August last year that killed 21 people. The report was made public on Saturday.

"It is recommended that AAIB should set up a state-of-the-art Flight Recorders (DFDR and CVR) Lab with necessary hardware and software to carry out readout and analysis (including spectrum analysis). Aircraft manufacturers be mandated to provide necessary Technical Literature, Hardware and Software for all type of aircraft that operate in India," the report, that is more than 250 pages long, said.

DFDR is Digital Flight Data Recorder and CVR is Cockpit Voice Recorder.

"It is recommended that AAIB may take necessary actions to ensure that existing posts of investigators are filled with permanent full time investigators and additional posts are created to cater for growth of aviation in India," the report noted.

According to the report, it is recommended that the AAIB may have a permanent Aerospace/ Aviation Medicine Specialist as one of the investigators to participate in aircraft accident investigations as well as assist the 'Go Team' as a Human Factors expert".

An official said AAIB works with less number of investigators and needs to be strengthened.

The two pilots who died in the accident, that happened on a rainy day at the Kozhikode airport in Kerala on August 7, were Deepak V Sathe and Akhilesh Kumar.