Substandard Airport Caused Mangalore Crash: Capt Samir Kohli

Substandard Airport Caused Mangalore Crash: Capt Samir Kohli

Mangalore Today News Network

Bangalore, Feb 27, 2014: Captain Samir Kohli is a familiar figure on airfields and airports around the world, investigating air accidents. In April, 2012, Kohli began an independent inquiry into the crash landing of Air India Express Flight IX 812 from Dubai to Mangalore on May 22, 2010, killing 158 of 166 people on board.

“I was approached by the 812 Foundation (formed by the victims’ families) to provide an independent opinion on the reasons for the mishap at Bajpe Airport. The official inquiry had returned with a standard ‘pilot error’ verdict. In the course of my investigations, I found that the government had focused only on the errors of the pilot. In fact, the pilot is like a goalkeeper in a soccer match and can neither be held responsible for the entire team nor can he correct a situation in the event of an accident,” Kohli reveals.

Kohli faced many hurdles in studying the situation at Bajpe Airport in detail and recapping the events leading to the crash. He obtained records and statements by filing more than 30 RTI petitions in Delhi and Mangalore.

“It took me almost one year to get all the facts from the authorities as answers were evasive,” he says and adds, “I found out that the reason for the crash was that the Mangalore Airport was built in a non-standard method with a concrete structure that was non-frangible and just 200 metres from the runway. The entire wing of the plane was sheared off when it hit this concrete structure and this led to the explosion”.

The post-mortem reports of the victims clearly indicate that only six out of 158 had fatal injuries while the rest died of burns from the fire. “My investigations have revealed shocking failures, gross negligence at every level of the government machinery, including the managements of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Airports Authority of India, Air India and Mangalore Airport. The poor pilot was blamed for their shortcomings. Based on my report, the families have now filed a petition in the Supreme Court,” Kohli adds.