NEW DELHI: The aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has asked Air India to hand over training records of the pilots and flight dispatcher involved in last week’s deadly crash in Ahmedabad that killed at least 271 people, including nearly all onboard and several on the ground, Reuters reported. The crash of the London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner has sparked a sweeping review of training protocols and safety practices.According to confidential government memos reviewed by Reuters, the DGCA also instructed all flying schools to carry out safety compliance checks and warned that they will be scrutinised in upcoming audits.The Air India flight AI171 lost altitude moments after takeoff before crashing into nearby buildings. The lone survivor is in critical condition. The DGCA’s memo requested detailed records of the pilots’ training, qualifications, flight history, medical records and any actions previously taken against them. While standard in accident probes, the memo underscores the regulator’s intent to examine if lapses contributed to the crash.
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The commanding pilot, Sumeet Sabharwal, had over 8,000 hours of flight experience and was also an instructor. His co-pilot Clive Kunder had about 1,100 hours. The DGCA has also reached out to Air India for details of actions taken after recent audits.Meanwhile, Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, met Air India chairman N Chandrasekaran in Delhi to discuss the crash. Chandrasekaran has urged staff to treat the tragedy as a turning point for building a safer airline.The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is leading the official probe. A full emergency drill has been scheduled for June 30 across government-managed airports.
