Fire damaged both of Ajit Pawar plane's black boxes: AAIB
What's the story
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has said that both black boxes of the Learjet aircraft that crashed at Baramati airport on January 28 were damaged in a fire. The crash killed all five people on board, including Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The AAIB is now seeking specialized support from the manufacturers to retrieve data from the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), which was manufactured by Honeywell.
Technical examination
DFDR downloaded; CVR undergoing technical examination
It said the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), manufactured by L3-Communications, has been successfully downloaded at the AAIB Flight Recorder Laboratory. The DFDR records technical parameters such as aircraft speed, altitude, and heading. However, the CVR is undergoing a detailed technical examination with assistance from an accredited representative of its state of manufacture for specialized support in data retrieval, it added.
Contradictions
'Black boxes are installed in the tail section'
While the fire broke out following the crash, images from the accident scene showed the aircraft's tail section intact. "Both the black boxes are installed in the tail section and that part of the aircraft was largely intact. In fact, cartons....stored in the tail section can be seen strewn around in the wreckage with hardly any fire damage. So how did the black boxes sustain so much fire damage?" TOI quoted Capt Amit Singh, an air safety expert, as questioning.
Raut
Death very mysterious: Sena leader
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut had earlier flagged "something dubious" about the plane crash. Raut stated that he was "suspicious" about Pawar's death and alleged that the BJP had threatened the NCP leader with irrigation scam files after he expressed interest in a merger. He further stated that the former deputy chief minister "died mysteriously within 10 days" of these events.
Investigation protocols
Crash investigation being conducted as per international standards
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has confirmed that the crash investigation is being conducted as per the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017 and international standards under ICAO Annex 13. The Learjet aircraft VT-SSK crashed during its second landing attempt at Baramati's table-top airstrip. All five occupants, including Pawar and his personal security officer Vidip Jadhav, were killed in the accident.
Site inspection
DGCA team visited crash site on February 11
A Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) team visited the Baramati plane crash site on February 11 to conduct a thorough investigation. The team comprised four officials who reviewed CCTV camera footage and videos related to the crash. There have been calls for transparency in this probe, with some speculating possible conspiracy or sabotage due to damage on the CVR.