The Beechcraft King Air C90 charter aircraft that crashed in Ghatkopar on June 28 this year not only went ahead with the test flight in bad weather but also without the mandatory legal sanction from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
While undertaking any test flight in bad weather is prohibited, it was also found that the aircraft’s Certificate of Airworthiness was already cancelled. In all, five persons including the crew and a bystander were killed in the crash.
A Parliamentary panel on Labour and Civil Aviation, headed by BJP MP Kirit Somaiyya, found the shocking lapses, a report on which was tabled in the Parliament.
It was further found that the aircraft was bought at Rs 1.40 crore by U.Y Aviation Pvt Ltd in October 2016 from Silver Jubilee Pvt Ltd but it was insured for Rs 7 crore in January 2017 in an illegal and non-transparent manner by an insurance company.
“It seems that the deceased employees will not get any insurance due to non-transparent and illegal insurance policy and as now it has come to the knowledge that the test flight itself is illegal, “ the panel said.
The panel discovered that the same aircraft was grounded due to an accident in February 2008 whose C of A (Certificate of Airworthiness) was cancelled and was repaired in non-scientific manner and was taken for test flight without getting completion/final certificate from DGCA, which it stated is nothing but criminal negligence resulting into death of five employees/people.
The panel was “surprised” as to how the insurance company accepted the valuation of Rs 7 crore in January 2017 and issued an insurance policy of Rs 7 crore in January 2017. In practical terms, the cost/valuation of the aircraft should be Rs 1.40 crore, then how and why the insurance company issued such insurance cover of Rs 7 crore that too of an aircraft which did not have Certificate of Airworthiness at that time and was parked in a damage condition at Juhu Airport, Mumbai, the panel questioned.
The Committee said that the Department of Financial Services should enquire in the manner in which Rs 7 crore insurance was issued by that PSU insurance company.
Two pilots, two aircraft maintenance engineers, one bystander were killed and three persons were injured in the crash. “The U.Y Aviation Private Limited had entered into an agreement with Indamar Aviation Private Limited for carrying out the repairs and making the aircraft serviceable.
The flight carried two ground engineers in illegal manner (ground engineer are not supposed to fly in the test flight), the family of the deceased also stated which is confirmed by the officials that the pilot and ground engineer are pushed into the aircraft forcefully in an illegal manner,” the panel pointed out in the report.
The panel also expressed concern over the casual behaviour of the aircraft company and MRO, the Civil Aviation Ministry, DGCA, and Mumbai Police which did not register any FIR in the accident .
The panel said it is of the considered opinion that such systemic deficiencies which delay the process of fact finding, fixing responsibility and award of compensation need to be simplified and speeded up. Otherwise, it becomes a case of delayed justice leading to denial of justice to the victim’s families.
The panel, therefore, recommended that the Government take a fresh look into the vexed issue and ensure that a foolproof system is put in place to avert future occurrence of such incidents and to ensure the safety and security of employees associated.