New Delhi: A day after the Faridabad air
crash that claimed 10 lives, the government today created an
independent panel to probe major aviation accidents,
separating the role of a regulator and an investigator which
was being performed by the DGCA alone so far.
Aiming at creating an independent investigation system to
match the growth in aviation resulting in rising number of
incidents or accidents, an Accident Investigation Committee
(AIC) has been established to work under supervision of the
Civil Aviation Ministry, an official spokesman said here.
The five-member Committee, to be headed by Director of
Air Safety, would have all its members from the Directorate
General of Civil Aviation. It would identify the causes of
accident in an independent manner and assist the formal probe
panels like Courts or Committees of Inquiry.
AIC would draw up a formal procedures for notification of
an accident or serious incident, assist the Ministry to set up
probe panels in cases of major mishaps and carry out
investigation of aircraft accidents, the spokesman said.
It would also coordinate and provide support for the
probe panels and follow up and monitor the compliance of the
recommendations made in the Accident and Serious Incident
Investigation Reports.
The idea to separate regulatory and investigation
functions, in accordance with recommendations of the UN body
International Civil Aviation Organisation, was mooted a year
ago by then Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel soon after
the Mangalore aircrash that claimed 158 lives.
So far, the DGCA, which frames aviation rules and
regulations, also used to investigate aircrashes and find out
whether its rules were being followed by concerned players or
not.
PTI
