Pilot unions mentioned DGCA chief Arun Kumar’s feedback reveal an “amateurish view” of the Kerala crash
New Delhi:
Two main pilot unions of Air India on Tuesday mentioned DGCA chief Arun Kumar have to be instantly changed with an acceptable candidate with substantial data of the aviation sector and operational expertise as his feedback on information channels reveal a complete lack of technical know-how and an “amateurish view” of the Kozhikode airplane crash.
According to the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Union (ICPA) and Indian Pilots’ Guild (IPG), Mr Kumar mentioned throughout one of many televised interviews that the airplane’s “landing was not smooth”.
On one other information channel, Mr Kumar acknowledged that the “two fellows are dead…and the landing it seems was not appropriate”, in line with a letter collectively written by the 2 unions to Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday.
Pilot-in-command Captain Deepak Vasant Sathe, 58, and co-pilot Captain Akhilesh Kumar, 32, have been those working the Air India Express flight with 190 onboard that overshot the runway and crashed on the Kozhikode airport in Kerala on Friday night time.
Both pilots and 16 different individuals on board died within the accident.
Air India Express is an entirely owned subsidiary of Air India. The two pilots weren’t a part of both of the 2 aforementioned unions.
The unions famous, “Whether a landing technique is appropriate or a contributory factor to a mishap can only be ascertained after a thorough, evidence backed investigation and not by speculative, casual remarks.”
The above remarks of Mr Kumar on information channels solely go to disclose his “total lack of technical knowledge and amateurish view of the unfortunate accident”, the letter famous.
It is a longtime scientific proven fact that so-called “smooth” touchdowns could also be counterproductive in sure hostile climate situations and should pose a big threat to security, it acknowledged.
Mr Puri, when he visited Kozhikode a day after the accident, advised reporters that each the pilots have been very skilled and “there is absolutely no doubt over their competence”.
Mr Puri mentioned that Mr Sathe, a former wing commander of the Air Force, was one of many most-experienced commanders with greater than 10,000 flying hours and had landed plane 27 instances on the Kozhikode airport.
Akhilesh Kumar had a complete flying expertise of 1,723 hours.
The unions requested Mr Puri that “Arun Kumar IAS is immediately replaced with a suitable candidate with substantial aviation knowledge and operational experience, to serve the country as the Director General of Civil Aviation”.
Air India Express on Tuesday mentioned 74 passengers injured within the airplane crash in Kozhikode have been discharged from hospital after “obtaining complete fitness”.