✈️Air India Crash Probe Narrows Down to Engine & Flap Issues

NATIONAL
📅 Post Date: June 13, 2025
📘 Thematic Focus: Aviation Safety | Public Policy | Technology Regulation

🌀 Opening Whisper

“The safety of skies rests not in silence but in systems that speak before they fail.”

🔍 Key Highlights

• The preliminary probe into the Air India Boeing 787 crash near Ahmedabad on June 12 indicates malfunctions in engine thrust response, flap deployment, and landing gear sequencing.
• Investigators from the DGCA, in coordination with Boeing and Air India engineers, flagged anomalies in the automatic thrust control system and flap angle sensors.
• This aircraft had undergone a routine C-check inspection just weeks earlier, raising concerns about procedural lapses in maintenance checks.
• The DGCA has ordered immediate technical audits and enhanced oversight of the entire Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet operating in India.
• Families of victims are being provided expedited insurance settlements, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation has promised a full public report within 30 days.

🛬 Concept Explainer: How Are Plane Accidents Investigated?

• Aircraft crash investigations in India are led by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
• The probe typically examines:
  • Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR)
  • Maintenance logs and repair history
  • Pilot communication and ATC response
  • Weather conditions and runway quality
• Findings guide aviation policy updates, manufacturer directives, and airport authority protocols.

🧭 GS Mains Mapping

• GS Paper 3 – Disaster Management | Infrastructure Safety
• GS Paper 2 – Regulatory Bodies: DGCA, AAIB | Government Accountability
• GS Paper 4 – Ethics of Public Safety and Corporate Responsibility

💭 A Thought Spark — by IAS Monk

“Between altitude and attitude lies the thin thread of trust in technology—and in those who inspect it.”

High Quality Mains Essay For Practice :

Word Limit 1000-1200

India’s Soaring Skies and the Fragility Beneath: Aviation Growth and Safety Challenges

Introduction

India’s aviation sector is flying high. With record-breaking domestic air passenger traffic, new airlines entering the market, and massive airport expansions underway, India has become the third-largest domestic aviation market in the world. In just the first five months of 2025, over 68 million passengers were flown—surpassing pre-pandemic highs. This surge, driven by urban mobility, rising disposable incomes, and regional air connectivity, has transformed the Indian skies into a bustling air corridor.

Yet, on June 12, 2025, a tragic Air India Boeing 787 crash near Ahmedabad shattered this momentum. Early investigations point to technical failures involving engine thrust management and flap deployment, raising urgent questions about maintenance practices, regulatory vigilance, and fleet safety protocols.

This essay examines the paradox of India’s aviation boom and the growing safety pressures it must now navigate.

India’s Aviation Boom: A Snapshot

• Passenger Growth

• Domestic passenger traffic in April–May 2025 was up by 18% year-on-year, fuelled by Udan routes and summer travel.
• Key metros (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad) are now operating close to 95% capacity during peak hours.

• Fleet Expansion

• India’s major carriers—IndiGo, Air India, Akasa, and Vistara—have collectively ordered over 1,200 aircraft, including long-range jets like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777X.
• Air India’s fleet modernization has added over 20 wide-body aircraft in the past year alone.

• Airport Infrastructure

• The government’s National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) includes 21 new airports and capacity upgrades at 31 existing hubs.
• The Jewar Airport in Noida is expected to become India’s largest aviation hub by 2026.

Safety Concerns in a Rapidly Expanding Sector

As the sector scales, so do the complexities of regulation, maintenance, and operational safety. The Air India crash has once again brought these fragilities into public view.

A. Technical Oversight Gaps

The Air India Dreamliner that crashed had recently cleared a C-check (comprehensive maintenance review). Yet, early reports indicate:

• Engine thrust control anomalies
• Sensor malfunctions in flap deployment
• Possible landing gear delay during final descent

This points to either diagnostic lapses or procedural negligence, both of which are alarming for a national carrier undergoing fleet modernization.

B. Shortage of Trained Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AMEs)

India’s aviation maintenance ecosystem is understaffed and overworked:

• AMEs per aircraft are significantly lower than ICAO-recommended benchmarks.
• Rising fleet size has outpaced the recruitment and training of qualified engineers.

C. Oversight Fatigue in DGCA

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) faces:

• Resource limitations for real-time monitoring across 140+ airfields
• Backlogs in audit reports of private and public carriers
• Over-dependence on airline self-reporting for incident data

Historical Incidents and Lessons Ignored

India’s aviation history has several near-misses and avoidable disasters that have repeatedly exposed weak safety architecture:

• Air India Express crash in Kozhikode (2020): runway overshoot due to wet conditions; flagged the need for safer tabletop runways.
• Go First’s mid-air engine failures (2022–23): led to multiple emergency landings.
• Vistara–IndiGo near miss over Bengaluru (2023): ATC coordination failure.

Each triggered momentary reforms—yet few led to permanent institutional strengthening.

Current Safety Measures and Reforms Announced

1. DGCA’s Immediate Response Post-Crash

• Ordered technical audits of the entire Boeing 787 fleet across Air India and Vistara.
• Directed all airlines to submit maintenance protocol adherence reports within 7 days.
• Suspended maintenance vendor for preliminary lapses pending investigation.

2. AAIB-Led Crash Investigation

• The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has retrieved the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR).
• Boeing representatives are collaborating with Indian investigators under ICAO protocol.
• A 30-day timeline has been announced for preliminary findings.

3. Insurance & Public Accountability

• LIC announced expedited settlement mechanisms, waiving death certificate delays.
• Ministry of Civil Aviation committed to publishing the final report in the public domain.

Systemic Improvements Needed

A. Digital Maintenance Logs

Adopt centralized, tamper-proof digital maintenance logs accessible to DGCA in real-time. Airlines must be held liable for manual overrides or missed entries.

B. Third-Party Audits

Encourage independent safety audits by global firms like IATA and ICAO-affiliated bodies at least once every two years for all major fleets.

C. Regional Safety Officers

Deploy zonal safety compliance officers under DGCA in Tier-2 and Tier-3 airports to oversee regional and UDAN flights—often neglected in audit cycles.

D. Public Grievance Tracking

Enable real-time reporting of safety complaints through mobile apps, including feedback from cabin crew and frequent flyers.

Role of Manufacturers and International Partnerships

Aircraft manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus must:

• Issue global safety bulletins and advisories based on real-time data analysis.
• Share sensor malfunction trends across countries.
• Provide full support to Indian regulators during fleet-wide technical reviews.

The India–US aviation tech partnership should expand into training programs for AMEs and airworthiness inspectors, building long-term technical capacity.

Balancing Growth and Governance

The aviation sector’s explosive growth is a matter of national pride, but it must not outpace regulatory capability. Safety must not be seen as a trade-off for speed.

Smart Regulation Includes:

• Encouraging automation in diagnostics, reducing human error.
• Ensuring pilots and crew are trained in updated SOPs for emergency recovery.
• Strengthening air traffic control infrastructure, including radar coverage and secondary surveillance.

Conclusion

India’s aviation story is remarkable—a testament to aspirations, technology, and policy innovation. But each aircraft that takes off does so with the silent trust of hundreds of lives.

The Air India crash is not just an isolated accident—it is a wake-up call. A reminder that beneath the soaring statistics are systems, engineers, inspectors, and technologies that must work seamlessly, invisibly, tirelessly.

India cannot afford to build a world-class aviation sector on cracks hidden beneath polish. The future must fly—not just fast—but flawlessly and fearlessly.

Target IAS-26: Daily MCQs :

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Topic: Air India Crash Probe Narrows Down to Engine & Flap Issues