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Showing posts with the label Accident

The Indian truth behind the ruins of Takshasila

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        The truth behind the ruins of Takshasila Takshasila (Taxila ) was a vital Buddhist centre from the fifth century B.C. to the Sixth Century A.D. Takshasila illustrates the different stages in the development of a city on the Indus. It included the ancient Neolithic Saraikala mound, the Sirkap fortification (2nd century B.C.) and the town of Sirsukh (1st century A.D.). Central Asian, Persian and Greek influence can be witnessed at Takshasila. (Centre, 2023). Ancient Takshasila was situated at the pivotal junction of South Asia and Central Asia. The common association of the Huns with Takshasila has been the destroyer of the Buddhist structures at Takshasila. The name “Huns” has been associated with atrocities committed against select groups and vandalism, especially by Attila  in Europe. However, no reliable evidence exists of the Alkhan carrying out such atrocities and destruction in the outgoing fourth century. New archaeological research has revealed that this image does not
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Slippery runway & more so the safety area at Kozhikode may be a leading cause of the Air India Express crash

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RESA  The entire state machinery is on overdrive to defend the Calicut Airport stating that it was completely safe for flight operations. There are two significant points to focus on while determining the causes of the accident.  1. Previous safety audits have pointed to vegetation on the runway end safety area (RESA). 2. The rubber deposits at the ends of the runway may have been a contributory cause of the accident. Comparison A comparison of the runway friction values indicates a possibility of higher rubber deposits or poor runway friction levels at both ends of the runways. A friction level below 0.47 requires maintenance action as per the Indian Aeronautical Information Publication. The combination of runway friction and vegetation on the RESA may have been a significant factor that may have caused the Air India Express 1344 runway overrun at Kozhikode on 7th Aug 2020. Must note that the runway has a pronounced crown close to the middle and drops more than 25 feet on either side.
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Air Djibouti suffers landing gear collapse on landing, no injuries

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  Air Djibouti the African Airline, Boeing B-737 suffered a landing gear collapse on landing at Garowe airport, Somalia. No injuries have been reported. AvHerald reports: An Air Djibouti Boeing 737-500, registration EY-560 performing flight IV-206 from Hargeisa (Somaliland/Somalia) to Garowe (Puntland/Somalia) with 39 passengers and 5 crew, landed at Garowe (capital of Puntland) Airport's runway 04 at about 09:30L (06:30Z) but suffered the collapse of the right hand main gear at low speed. The aircraft veered to the right but came to a stop within the runway edge resting on right hand engine, left main and nose gear. There were no injuries, the passengers disembarked/evacuated onto the runway and were taken to the terminal. The flight had originated in Djibouti (Djibouti) and was destined for Mogadishu (Somalia) with intermediate stops in Hargeisa and Garowe. Garowe International Airport features an asphalt runway 04/22 of 2000 meters/6600 feet length. Local Media report the airpor
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Boeing risk assessment had predicted 15 B737 Max accidents & 2900 deaths, was it acceptable to the DGCA?

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  The final committee report prepared by the USA committee on transport and infrastructure has carried out a comprehensive study on the design development and certification of the Boeing 737 Max based on the facts & data when it was certified to fly for the first time. There were two tragic accidents which followed , in quick succession which everyone will remember, the Lion Air and the Ethiopian airways. The B737 Max fleet was grounded worldwide. There are a number of startling yet expected conclusions that the report draws but there is one which no one must ignore. "In December 2018, the FAA conducted a risk assessment based on its Transport Aircraft Risk Assessment Methodology (TARAM) and estimated that without a fix to MCAS, during the lifetime of the 737 MAX fleet, there could potentially be 15 additional fatal crashes resulting in over 2,900 deaths ." Read the full report here.. Slide 1 The obvious question, why weren't the aircrafts grounded? The Boeing officia
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FAA proposes draft B-737 Max Training only for US carriers & registered aircraft only

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B737 Max Flight Simulator  The FAA has released a f light standardisation board report relating to B-737 Max pilot training. Soon after, an addendum was issued too.  While FAA has clearly stated that the training required in the FSB is mandated for US air carriers & US registered aircrafts, other aviation authorities must take their own action for the return of the B-737 Max. Question, will the Indian regulator follow a systematic process of change management and not be rushed into the re-entry process? Will the FSB report adopted in toto and will the regulators draft training requirements be put out for public comments? The key highlights are quoted below from the FAA website as of 7th Oct 2020: While this is an important step, several key milestones remain: Final Design Documentation and Technical Advisory Board (TAB) Report  – The FAA will review Boeing’s final design documentation to evaluate compliance with all FAA regulations. The multi-agency TAB will also review the fi
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Kozhikode runway friction delayed as top policy makers certify the runway safe for operations

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The runway friction test is mandated by the DGCA to be carried out periodically for safe flight operations.  A medium to big aircraft typically lands at a speed of 220-260 kmph. The primary means of stopping the aircraft is with the wheel brakes like any other vehicle. Since the runway length is limited,it is therefore important that the runway is not slippery & the wheels have a good grip on the runway by generating friction between the two surfaces.Lesser friction would mean lesser braking response. Factors that affect braking are the condition of the runway, dry/wet & rubber deposits. Each landing of the aircraft leaves behind about 700 gms of rubber from the tires due to sudden wheel spin up and this accumulates over a period of time depending on how busy the airport is.  If the rubber is not removed periodically, the grains of the runway surface which provide the grip get filled with the rubber and they become smooth. Adding to this if there is even a film of water few mil
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Standards for passenger evacuation from aircraft not upated finds USA audit.

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  The current standard is to demonstrate that the aircraft can be evacuated by all passengers in 90 seconds using half the exits. There have been increasing number of evacuations where it has been observed that the pasengers were carrying their personal belogings or delaying the evacuation to collect their belongings. The test scenario is conducted with motivated volunteers who have been briefed on the scenario. However a real evacuation with changing passenger profile will present different challenges. FAA largely updates its evacuation standards only after accidents, and its last update that was based on an accident occurred in 1991 . FAA also has not conducted sufficient research on passenger behaviors and seat dimensions to determine how they affect evacuation standards. Furthermore, FAA does not collect comprehensive data from evacuations or data from aircraft model certifications to identify emerging risks and needs for regulation updates. Read the full report here  FAA’s Process
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Boeing's reluctance to admit mistake & Indian Aviation master's perpetual state of denial makes two to tango, will the B-737Maxreturn?

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  Well begun but safety agenda got pushed behind William Boeing established his company, he went to his airplane factory housed at the Duwamish shipyard in Seattle and began to step all over improperly sawed “spruce ribs” until they broke. He used these wooden boards to build his new airplanes. The point, as relayed from his official Boeing biography, was that he was a perfectionist and demanded that his products be of the highest quality and safe. Unfortunately the philosophy was dissolved by those who took over the reigns of the company and instead of safety, production and profits became the driving force. Boeing has had a history of known design defects beginning with the B-737 Rudder problems, B-747 Centre Tank Wiring issues, B-787 Battery problem and finally the B-737Max MCAS. Attitude issue Indian aviation has faced their share of ups and downs. Unfortunately the masters who run the show do not defer or consult experts in the respective fields before taking decisions but rely on
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Indian aviation's startling disclosure, upto 80% incidents due engineering/technical issues

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Facts as told by the Government! Indian aviation has witnessed an increase in number of incidents in the past few years and so has the traffic increased. The surprising revelation is that the 70-80% of the incidents are attributable to Engineering and Technical issues including component failure.15-20% Operational issues and 5-10% Human error. (Source Lok Sabha Question Answer 2020). The statement above shows that Human Factors is NOT understood by the policymakers and the people responsible for safety. The terms remains buried in text waiting to be understood. Globally, accident numbers have dropped significantly with the introduction of the Generation 4 aircraft types. Statistics over the life of each generation of jet show a significant improvement in the level of safety since the introduction of third generation aircraft and the latest fourth generation. Introducing TAWS technology with the third generation aircraft saw a huge reduction in the number of CFIT fatal accidents when co
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Etihad incident at Calicut,June'19, highlighted airport infrastructure issues. This could have been the wakeup call!

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Etihad June 2019 Two incidents that could have saved the Air India Express accident at Khozikode. Unfortunately, no one acted on the concerns raised by the GCAA investigators. Isn't it criminal negligence? Synopsis First SpiceJet Q400 runway excursion in rain, August 2017 and now on 20 June 201 9 , an Etihad Airways, Airbus A320 - 232, registration A6 - EI T , operated a scheduled passenger flight EY2 5 0, from Abu Dhabi International Airport , the United Arab Emirates, to Calicut International Airport , India .  During the ILS approach to runway 28 , the flight crew initiated a go - around due to heavy rain over the runway as reported by air traffic control ( ATC ) . Approximately 16 minutes later, the flight crew initiated a second i nstrument landin g system ( ILS ) approach to runway 28.  On landing, the Aircraft touched down to the right of the runway centerline, and the right main landing gear then struck five runway edge lights. The Commander was able to steer the Aircraft
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In Public's Interest, Govt. must release Air India Express accident preliminary report

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           The public has an overarching interest in safety data or safety information(ICAO) . The Air India Express aircraft VT-AXH accident at Kozhikode was unfortunate and a matter of public concern. The regulator made a public statement that in a few weeks, information on the circumstances leading to the accident would be released. It is over 30 days and the public is still being kept in the dark.  The reason this routine information is being withheld by the investigating authorities is quite intriguing since transparency promotes safety culture and awareness of the threats. Is it their lack of understanding of the investigation concepts or the usual posturing on the high horse? The regulation does not mandate the release of the preliminary report but at the same time does not restrict or recommend withholding the report from public disclosure . Objective of Investigation      The sole objective of an International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 13 investigati
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