R S Sandhu, a veteran pilot brought in as a subject matter expert by the investigating panel, is no longer part of the team after recusing himself over differences, they said.
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While he has not submitted a resignation letter, they said Sandhu has not attended any meetings since January and does not intend to participate in future proceedings.
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) and GVG Yugandhar, director general of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB)-which is leading the probe into the Boeing 787 crash on June 12 last year that killed 260 people – did not respond to queries on the matter despite repeated reminders.
Sandhu declined to comment.
A senior government official, however, disputed the suggestion, saying subject matter experts are not required to be part of the entire probe process and are called in as and when required. “When the investigator-in-charge feels it necessary, he will seek inputs from the expert. Sandhu’s inputs were recorded,” he said.Subject matter experts are not part of the main panel but provide inputs in their areas of expertise. As part of the inquiry process, the AAIB had roped in experienced pilots, engineers, aviation medicine specialists, psychologists and flight recorder specialists.
Sandhu was brought in to consult the flight operations group because of his experience operating the Boeing 787. The flight operations group is responsible for collecting facts and examining the actions of the pilots.
The alleged differences underscore the complexity of the investigation into one of the deadliest aviation crashes. While a preliminary report published last year did not explicitly say so, it indicated the crash may have been the result of human action.
It said that seconds after take-off, the fuel control switches on both engines briefly moved from ‘run’ to ‘cut off’, severing fuel supply and causing a loss of power.
These switches control fuel flow to the engines. On modern aircraft such as the Boeing 787, they are fitted with safeguards, including a metal lock and a surrounding guard, to prevent accidental shut-off.
However, the findings have drawn severe criticism from unions and advocacy groups representing pilots in India. The Federation of Indian Pilots, which counts 5,000 pilots among its members, and the father of the crashed flight’s captain have petitioned the Supreme Court for a court-led investigation. Sandhu, incidentally, has been closely associated with pilot unions during his time at Air India.
The AAIB is unlikely to publish a final report within a year of the accident but will release an interim report on June 12.