INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
MUMBAI: After its aircraft crashed outside Baramati airport on October 19, flying training organisation, Red BirdFlight Training illegally
Red Bird handed over the tampered card to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) officials only on the night of October 20.Then
two days later when a second aircraft crashed, Red Bird repeated the offence, with impunity
Only this time, they removed the SD card, tampered with it, and reinstalled it in the aircraft
Crucial data on both the accidents was lost in the tampering.The revelations were made by the AAIB in the preliminary reports, into these
The flying training organisation (FTO) had five accidents in a span of six months, following which the Directorate General of Civil Aviation
(DGCA) suspended its flying training activities last month
The said flying school, run by the kin of a former DGCA director, flying training had leased some of its aircraft from a company run by the
kin of Anil Gill, the current DGCA director, flying training
On enquiry it was informed that the SD cards were removed by Red Bird
file for the accident did not have the data for the complete flight
In the second case, the AAIB report said the SD card data files showed that data was modified between 8.30 am and 8.50 am
The accident had occurred around 6.45 am and the AAIB team, which was already in Baramati to investigate the first accident, reached the
In this case too, there was no data on engine performance
shut down and also recorded engine parameters.Air safety expert, Captain Amit Singh, in a letter sent on Thursday to the ministry of civil
aviation, AAIB and the DGCA said that the preliminary reports of Red Bird aircraft accidents has highlighted the inability of the AAIB to
secure the wreckage and in the process, key evidence has been tampered with
Please note that the AAIB is a statutory body and has the teeth to impose fines and penalties
However, in the case of Red Bird, the AAIB has chosen not to take action but on the other hand, recommended that the DGCA take appropriate
pointed out that the AAIB deemed the second case to be a "serious incident" and not an "accident"
section 204 of the Indian Penal Code
The AAIB comes under the ministry of civil aviation
On Thursday, TOI sought a comment from the ministry on whether an FIR has been filed in the case
The statement from the ministry is awaited.
