Mangalore: Court of Inquiry - 'Co-pilot Asked Captain to Turn Around Ill-fated Flight'
Daijiworld Media Network—Mangalore (CN)
Mangalore, Aug 19: The proceedings on the second day of the public hearing at the Court of Inquiry (COI), instituted by the civil aviation ministry following the Air India Express air crash, on Wednesday August 18, saw the transcripts of the cockpit conversation being presented.
It came to light that the co-pilot had probably asked the captain to ‘go around’ at 06:04:38 am on that fateful day. This was followed by the co-pilot’s voice again saying ‘control’ in a panicky voice at 06:05:21 am, which was the last communication received from the cockpit on the morning of Saturday May 22.
The COI into the Air India Express crash incident had directed the Mangalore airport to conduct an obstacles survey immediately.
The court headed by Air Marshal (retired) B N Gokale took up the issue of various obstacles to air-traffic around Mangalore air port and directed the airport authorities to conduct the survey immediately.
Thomas K Thomas, senior ATC at the airport, who was in-charge on the day of the air crash, was asked about the matter of obstacles by the assessors consisting of Babu Peter, Capt Ron Nagar, Group Captain Deepak Gaur, Gurucharan Batura, and S S Nath.
They questioned Thomas asked about the recent incident wherein a peacock hit the wheels of an aircraft.
“The airport has deployed four persons to chase the birds and provided a sound gun to them”, said Thomas. He added that a water tank belonging to the local gram panchayat and some trees are hurdles to the air traffic around the airport.
“We have requested the local panchayat to paint the tank”, he said.
The court directed the airport to conduct the survey without any delay when airport director M R Vasudeva clarified that the survey is being conducted every five years. He added that the latest survey was in 2006 and is valid till 2011.
The court directed that there was no need to wait till the completion of five years, and since it was nearing the end of its validity, the survey should be conducted.
No Alcohol Content
Dr K R Nagesh, associate professor, forensic department, Fr Muller Hospital, said that there was no alcohol intoxication or reaction found during the autopsy of the pilot Captain Z Glusica. He opined that the death of the pilot was due to injury to the forehead and multiple injuries on the body. Dr Nagesh added that the body was identified through some photographs in his burnt uniform and foreign currency.
Basanth Pandey and Vishal Sharma from Gateway Hotel who served the pilot in his room said that there was nothing unusual found there. Pandey said that he had not served him alcohol and Sharma said that after the incident, when they checked his room, no alcohol was found.
S G Amin, group captain with Air India, said that in Glusica’s room there was a baggage, laptop and some medicine. “We had contacted our office in Frankfurt to contact the pilot’s family to get details about the medicines”, he added.
Time Inconsistency
Regional fire officer Basavanna, said that the time mentioned by him was confused the air traffic control (ATC) staff at the airport.
He said that they had received a call from the airport at 6.15 am about the crash. But the ATC staff said that they had received a reply from the fire department at 6.11 am saying their fire tenders were headed towards the crash site. One of the participants in the court asked about the procedure of time-check at the fire department to which he received a negative answer.
Surviors Abdulla Puttur Ismail, Pradeep G K, and Umer Farooq also gave their statements before the court. The COI will register 50 witnesses in three days and 39 witnesses have been registered in two days.
Transcript of Cockpit Conversation:
This is the conversation between Air India flight IX 812 and Mangalore Tower at the airport before the crash.
Time- (to- from) - text
05:54:51-IX 812 to Mangalore Tower- Good morning
05:54: 59- Mangalore Tower to IX812- Good morning, report established 10 DME arc runway 24
05:55:00- IX 812 to Mangalore Tower-- Call you established 12 DME Arc runway 24
05:55:04- MT to IX 812- 10DME arc
05:55:08- IX 812 to Mangalore Tower-10DME arc
05:57:44- Established on 10DME arc Runway 24
05: 57:52--IX 812 to Mangalore Tower- Report established on ILS
06:04:15 Mangalore Tower to IX812------Confirm established
06: 04:17 IX 812 to Mangalore Tower-----Affirmative
06:04:19 Mangalore Tower to IX812-----Wind calm, runway 24, clear to land
06:04:22 --IX 812 to Mangalore Tower-Clear to land
06:04:38( IX 812) - ------Go around captain (Probably from cockpit)
06:05:04--Mangalore Tower to IX812 ------Back track runway 24, vacate via Delta
06:05:21(IX812) Control (Panicky voice from cockpit)
06:09:29 Mangalore tower to IX812-----Express India 812, Mangalore control correction Express India Mangalore Tower
06:09:39 Mangalore tower to IX812---- Express India 812, Mangalore Tower
Though the crash of Air India Express IX 812 was reported as having occurred at 06.02 am, the conversation between Mangalore Airport tower and from cockpit of IX812 reveals that co-pilot of the aircraft suggested the captain to ‘go around’ at 06:04:33 am (IST). The voice is believed to be of the co-pilot, suggesting that the pilot go around despite landing.
The captain contacted Mangalore Tower at 05:54: 51 and the conversation was on till 06:09:39 after which there was no reply from the aircraft.
Flight IX 812 had contacted Mangalore Control at 05:32:48 am and had a conversation till 05:54:47 am, and later came under Mangalore Tower.
Mangalore Crash : Court of Inquiry Begins