Click to play videoNew Delhi: It’s a controversy national carrier Air India can do without. The airline – already running into turbulent times with its business - could now face a criminal case for overloading its Mumbai-Mangalore aircraft on May 5 with three extra passengers.
A report by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), available with CNN-IBN, says one passenger - a lady - was made to sit in the cockpit and two where flight attendants sit during takeoff and landing.
This is not only against safety procedures but renders the flight illegal. In case of a mishap the insurance company will not pay any compensation.
The report also finds there was willful falsification of records. The system could not generate additional boarding passes so all procedures were set aside to issue manual boarding passes.
In effect, that flight should never have left the ground because in an emergency situation, the crew would have been handicapped since passengers were sitting in seats designated for them. Close to emergency doors
The report has raised several disturbing questions:
- Why did the Captain and the cabin crew not speak up against the three extra passengers?
- Why was a passenger allowed inside the cockpit?
- Why was the cabin crew not sitting at their appointed places?
- Who are these three extra passengers?
RELATIVES OF THE PILOT?
Sources have told CNN-IBN that the three persons who were illegally allowed to board were family members of a senior pilot
Air India sources say they had put in a strong request to be included in the flight and safety norms were violated to accommodate them, even though the flight was full
Sources insist the commercial staff who have now been pulled up for the security lapse were actually forced to accommodate the three extra passengers.
HOW AI GOT CAUGHT OUT
This safety lapse was discovered when DGCA officials were investigating damage to the same aircraft when it was towed, while still being attached to the aero bridge.
Five commercial personnel have been named for action Air India says it will take action against all those involved in safety lapse.
“Yes, it was a serious lapse on our part. Air India management has taken a very serious view of it. We are very clear that safety is paramount for airline and can’t see anyone compromising it. We will tolerate no indiscipline from anyone. We are getting feedback on who authorised this, who were these people and action will follow in a day or two. I am not giving ourselves more than 48 hours. We are also making it clear that all regulations of the DGCA must be judiciously complied with. There can be no compromise. AI has a safety track record comparable to the best and we won’t like the incident to mar our reputation. AI will make every effort to make all documents available to the DGCA,” says Director (Public Relations), Air India, Jitendra Bhargava.
DGCA has threatened a criminal case against the airline and individuals involved. Former director general of civil aviation Kanu Gohain says the captain should also be questioned.
“How can he take off from the originating station with three people extra on board. He shouldn't have tried to do this,” Gohain says.
FREELOADING CULTURE
It took repeated warnings by the DGCA to get Air India into action. The investigation report says, “The commercial staff refused to handover the trim sheet and related documents, inspite of repeated reminders and our efforts through Director (Operations) and Director (Flight Safety) did not yield any results”.
In fact, this is not an isolated case that DGCA talks about in its report. It also blames a culture of freeloading that’s common with the airline.
But Bhargava feels the national carrier is unfairly targeted by the media. “Every incident that happens gets reported but it is being projected as if every one of it will result in a disaster. We get more media attention than private airlines,” he alleges.
While the Air India carriers are robust and can technically carry three extra passengers on board, the incident poses a serious question in security.
After the 9/11, cockpit is out of bounds for anyone except the pilots. Even the cabin crew needs the pilot’s permission to get into the cockpit. So to have a complete stranger in the cockpit is seriously compromising the safety of the aircraft.
(Inputs from Priyanka Dube)
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