Mangalore plane crash – CoI report blaming Captain Glusica made public

Mangalore plane crash – CoI report blaming Captain Glusica made public

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Feb 18, 2012: The final report of the Court of Inquiry (CoI), appointed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragic plane crash of Mangalore, which killed 158 people, was made public on Friday. The report blames Captain Z. Glusica for the crash.

A Rediff news report quotes the CoI report as stating that the plane crash was due to the pilot’s “failure to discontinue the unstabilized approach and his persistence in continuing with the landing, despite three calls from First Officer H. S. Ahluwalia to ‘go around’ and a number of warnings from EPGWS (enhanced ground proximity warning systems).”

 

 

The CoI had submitted its main findings in Oct 2010, but the entire report was published on the official website of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Friday.

The report marks the touchdown of the ill-fated Boeing 737 – 800 at around “5,200ft from the start of Runway 24, leaving just 2,800ft to the end of the paved surface to stop the aircraft.”

After touching down, the captain initiated a “go around” or, in other words, he tried to take off again, but it was too late for that.

The aircraft overshot the runway when its right wing hit the Instrument Landing System (ILS), dashed against the boundary fence of the airport, and plunged into the Kenjar valley.

The CoI report also makes several recommendations to prevent future accidents. One of these recommendations is the setting up of an independent civil aviation safety board, especially when the aviation industry in India is growing at a rapid pace.