Air safety committee recommends independent panel for probing accidents
The Committee on Aviation Safety has
recommended that the investigation of flying accidents be
taken out of the Directorate General of
Civil Aviation's purview and entrusted to an independent body of
experts.
In its report submitted to Civil Aviation Minister Chand Mahal Ibrahim last week, the Committee, headed by Air Marshal (retired) J K Seth,
was of the view that the DGCA should concentrate only on preventive
activities, as far as air accidents are concerned.
The high-powered committee, which included DGCA Director General H S Khola,
Airports Authority of India chairman Ranjan Chatterjee and Indian
Airlines chairman and managing director P C Sen, was set up in
September to review the DGCA, the Aircraft
Act, 1934 and Aircraft Rules, 1937, and to optimise air safety and
regulatory control.
It said the present organisation of the DGCA was
inadequate for its responsibilities which have
increased very considerably in the last 15 years, and recommended that it be converted into a fully
autonomous eight-member body called the Civil Aviation Authority,
with a 40 per cent increase in the authorised strength of officers
for effective monitoring of airworthiness and licensing activities.
Noting that experienced officers were scarce in DGCA, the Committee said
the new staff must have at least
10 years of practical experience as aircraft
engineers, pilots, air traffic controllers or communication
engineers.
It has also recommended the setting up of a Civil Aviation
Board to act as an appellate authority for representations against
the decisions and actions of the DGCA, AAI and Bureau of Civil
Aviation Security.
It has submitted to the minister a draft Civil Aviation Act for
laying down the responsibilities and powers of civil aviation
authorities in an unambiguous and transparent manner.
Recommendations have also been made for improvement in aviation
training infrastructure, safety regulations, licensing of personnel,
modernisation of the central navigation system/air traffic
management systems and safety audit of aviation agencies.
The DGCA -- or rather, the CAA -- should be only responsible
for the technical regulation of civil aviation. All economic aspects should be handled by the aviation ministry, the report said.
It suggested the DGCA director general and four joint director
generals should comprise the full-time members of the CAA's
executive council.
With this balanced mix of internal and external members, the
executive council of the CAA should provide fully autonomous
collective leadership in matters of recruitment and appointment, and
financial management within the budgetary allotments made
by the government.
Recommendations have also been made for improvement in aviation
training infrastructure, safety regulations, licensing of personnel,
modernisation of the central navigation system/air traffic
management systems and safety audit of aviation agencies.
The Committee said the 'accident investigation bureau'
should be an integral but functionally independent part of the Civil
Aviation Board. The focus of accident investigation should be
shifted from punishment to retraining and education, except in
cases of gross indiscipline or recklessness.
Investigation procedures should be modified so as to attract
honest and truthful inputs, given willingly even by erring
individuals, free from punishment. As practised in progressive
countries, and supported by the International Civil Aviation
Organisation, there should be a confidential reporting system
for aviation personnel to point out safety hazards experienced or
observed by them, along with suggestions for remedy.
The practice of suspension of licenses pending investigation should be
stopped, the Committee said.
It held that the DGCA's research and
development directorate should be restructured to
eliminate the design and development of gliders, trainer aircraft
and winches and it should work more closely with human factor
and systems failure studies to bolster aviation safety.
A scheme for the licensing of air traffic controllers should be
launched as early as possible. For this, the DGCA should be allowed
to take eight very experienced air traffic controllers from the AAI
on deputation.
The committee said a scheme for the licensing of aerodromes
should be implemented immediately.
UNI
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