India has declined to allow a UN investigator to take part in the probe of the Air India flight AI 171 crash, despite concerns raised by some safety experts over delays in analysing critical black box data, two senior sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
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Earlier this week, the United Nations aviation agency took the unusual step of offering India one of its investigators to provide assistance following the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash killing at least 270 persons, including 241 on board.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) had previously sent investigators to assist with specific probes, such as the 2014 downing of a Malaysian plane and the 2020 crash of a Ukrainian jetliner, but in those instances, the agency was formally requested to provide support.
According to the sources, the ICAO had requested that the investigator present in India be granted observer status, but Indian authorities declined the request. The development was first reported by Times Now on Thursday.
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is leading the probe into the world’s deadliest aviation accident in a decade, did not return a request for comment. ICAO was not immediately available for comment.
Meanwhile, the Union Civil Aviation Ministry said on Thursday that investigators downloaded flight recorder data around two weeks after the crash.
Earlier, safety experts had raised concerns over the lack of transparency in the investigation, particularly regarding the status of the combined black box unit recovered on June 13, as well as a second set retrieved on June 16.
Questions were also raised on whether the recorders would be read in India or the US since the US National Transportation Safety Board is participating in the investigation. The Indian government held only one press conference on the incident, during which no questions were allowed.
Under international rules known throughout the industry by their legal name “Annex 13,” the decision of where to read flight recorders should be made immediately in case the evidence obtained could avert future tragedies.
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Earlier this week, an Indian aviation ministry official pleading anonymity said the department has been “following all the ICAO protocols.” The official added that media representatives have made updates on important events.
Most air crashes are caused by multiple factors, with a preliminary report expected about 30 days after the accident.
