In 1997, a Bangalore-based NGO called the Environment Support Group filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Karnataka High Court. A key concern of the group was that the second runway in Mangalore airport would not be able to meet the standards required while dealing with an emergency, particularly during landings and take-offs. The court dismissed the PIL. In a new PIL in 2002, the group warned, “The inevitable consequence could be that the plane will come crashing down the hillsides from a height of 80-100 metres...” The court dismissed this PIL too. The group challenged this verdict in the Supreme Court, which said, “We see no reason to interfere... We, however, clarify that in constructing the Airport, the Government shall comply with all applicable laws and also with environmental norms.”
No lessons learned
But government agencies did not comply with laws or norms, and several violations led to the loss of 158 lives on May 22, 2010, when AIE 812 crashed on landing in Mangalore. The aircraft overshot the runway, plunged down the hillside as the petitioners had warned, and burst into flames. The PIL which highlighted all the violations was also dismissed by the Supreme Court, showing the judiciary’s reluctance to act against government agencies. Only the pilot was blamed. The cover-up report, which contained a well-orchestrated litany of lies, resulted in lessons not being learned to prevent a recurrence.
The AIE aircraft was too high and fast and the touchdown was late. It crashed into the illegal concrete structure on which the Instrument Landing System Localiser antenna was mounted. The International Civil Aviation Organization had set January 1, 2010 as the deadline to ensure that all localiser structures were frangible. To make matters worse, the structure was replaced with steel girders. The court of inquiry team, headed by an Air Marshall, ignored both these violations.
The cardinal principle of an accident investigation is to identify the cause and prevent recurrence. This is where the investigations by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) have failed. India has had a string of runway overruns due to high and fast approaches and late touchdowns, resulting in hull losses. In 2005, an Air Sahara 737 overshot the runway. In 2009, a Kingfisher ATR touched down late from a high and fast approach and went off the runway. Both aircraft were written off. After the Mangalore crash, SpiceJet had a string of runway overruns resulting in hull losses. In all these accidents, the pilots were blamed but there was no introspection on why investigations had failed to prevent such accidents from recurring, indicating a lack of accountability and transparency in the system. Pilot error is an easy card to play to cover up the DGCA’s incompetence.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation constituted the Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Council (CASAC) after the Mangalore crash. Members of operations, aerodromes and Air Traffic Control (ATC) were tasked with identifying deficiencies and providing corrective steps. The focus was on critical runways, such as in Mangalore and Calicut. The CASAC pointed out the failure of the court of inquiry report in identifying serious errors and taking corrective steps. An inspection of Calicut showed shocking deficiencies. The CASAC warned the Ministry that the failure to provide the mandatory Runway End Safety Areas (RESA) at Calicut could result in fatal accidents on Runway 10 if any aircraft touched down late at high speed. It also pointed out that the narrow service road would prevent quick rescue by rescue and firefighting vehicles. But the Ministry and the DGCA ignored our warnings. An accident on August 7, 2020 cost 21 lives. Was anyone held accountable for this dangerous failure to take corrective steps? The AAIB report following the crash pointed out several deficiencies. The Ministry constituted a committee. One of its recommendations was to have RESA at both ends. But we are yet to see that being implemented as it will reduce the runway length and affect payload. The commercial interests of airlines seem to override safety.
When the same errors cause accidents over years, it means that there are serious deficiencies in training, problems with the safety audits by the DGCA, and that investigation agencies have failed in identifying the reasons for such accidents and providing corrective steps. Our airports are not conforming to international safety standards. Sadly, the Supreme Court has also turned a blind eye to the problem. The system takes advantage of the judiciary’s blinkers, and safety is swept away under the carpet. There is no transparency or accountability. Fatigue, another serious safety issue, is not given the importance it deserves. Lives are considered cheap. Unless occupational safety and training are given top priority, the skies are not going to be safe.
A wing and a prayer
As a large number of aircraft is being inducted into our skies without the minimum number of qualified professionals to man critical stations such as cockpit, ATC and engineering, it is bound to lower the safety standards in India. Airlines are falling like nine pins due to failed financial audits by the DGCA. This is another dangerous trend. That pilots are fatigued and work to suit the commercial requirements of airlines is equally dangerous. The Chief Justice of India is proactive. Will he take up the PILs of the fatal Mangalore crash and set right the wrongs that are the results of inaction? Or do we continue to fly on a wing with prayers?
