[Marxistindia] AI 171 Crash: Don't Supplant Existing Investigation

[news from the cpi(m)]

16 June 2025

Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the
following statement:

AI 171 Crash: Don't Supplant Existing Investigation

With regard to the tragic crash of Air India 171 in Ahmedabad, as per
international protocols and norms set by the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO), India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB)
has commenced its independent investigation into the causes and
circumstances surrounding the crash. In pursuit of this task, AAIB will take
possession of the "black boxes" of the aircraft and all other evidence, and
complete its investigations in cooperation with concerned international
bodies, aircraft and engine manufacturers and other stakeholders.

In a surprise development, the Government of India has set up a "High Level
Committee" (HLC) chaired by the Home Secretary with many of the same goals,
such as to determine the "root cause" of the accident with access to the
"black boxes" and interact with international bodies, along with several
other objectives. Having a parallel high-powered governmental air crash
investigation committee filled with bureaucrats will undermine the AAIB
investigation and raise doubts about possible government interference, the
very purpose of constituting the AAIB under ICAO Annex 13.

The CPI (M) demands that the terms of reference of the HLC be immediately
revised to remove all overlaps with the AAIB investigation, especially as to
the cause and circumstances of the crash of AI-171. The accident
investigation is better left to professionals and experts. The HLC should
instead go into the Ahmedabad and other earlier crash investigation reports
to formulate binding rules and mechanisms for strict implementation to
prevent settlements and buildings coming up within prescribed distance and
safety parameters in the proximity of airports. In Ahmedabad, but for chance
many more casualties could have occurred on the ground, where large medical
facilities were also very close by. Firm steps are required to prevent such
occurrence in future.

 

(Muralidharan)

For CPI(M) Central Committee Office 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://cpim.org/pipermail/marxistindia_cpim.org/attachments/20250616/d426a116/attachment.html>