AAIB Flags Flight Data Monitoring Gaps in Kanpur Crash Probe
Preliminary report says Garg Aviation had no SOP for monitoring Garmin flight data; DGCA asked to tighten compliance
- AAIB flags gaps in Garg Aviation’s flight-data monitoring.
- FTO had no SOP or records for Garmin data monitoring.
- DGCA urged to strengthen flight-data monitoring guidelines.
- Cause of the Kanpur crash remains under investigation.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 29th Sept: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has flagged shortcomings in flight-data monitoring by Garg Aviation following the August 27 crash of a Tecnam P2006T training aircraft near Kanpur’s Ganga Barrage that killed a deputy chief flight instructor and a trainee pilot.
According to the preliminary report, Garg Aviation told investigators that it carried out random monitoring of data recorded by the aircraft’s Garmin system. However, the flying training organisation maintained no records of such monitoring and had no standard operating procedure defining how the data was to be reviewed or what flight-exceedance limits were to be considered.
The AAIB has recommended that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) direct Garg Aviation and other flying training organisations to strictly comply with flight-data monitoring requirements laid down in the regulator’s 2022 circular.
DGCA Asked to Issue Detailed Monitoring Guidelines
The AAIB has also recommended that the DGCA issue specific guidelines on flight-data monitoring and incorporate the procedure into the Training and Procedures Manual of flying training organisations.
The bureau has not attributed a cause to the Kanpur crash in its preliminary report. It stressed that the investigation is aimed at preventing future accidents and is not intended to assign blame or liability.
Aircraft Lost Contact During Training Flight
The Tecnam P2006T, registered as VT-NBV, took off from Kanpur’s Civil Aerodrome at about 11:11 am on August 27 for a training sortie involving abnormal and emergency procedures and manoeuvres.
At around 11:25 am, the aircraft reported “Ops Normal” and said it would make another call after 10 minutes. No further communication was received.
The air traffic controller attempted to contact the aircraft, but received no response. Other aircraft were also asked to establish contact with VT-NBV without success.
At 11:50 am, the Chief Flight Instructor took off with another instructor to visually locate the aircraft. Garg Aviation was informed at 12:10 pm that the aircraft had force-landed in the Ganga Barrage area.
Police and ambulance personnel subsequently reached the crash site after local residents alerted authorities. Both occupants were taken to a hospital in Kanpur, where they were declared dead.
The AAIB said no distress call had been made by the aircraft.
Weather Conditions Recorded
The preliminary report records mist, rain, low clouds and cumulonimbus clouds around the time of the accident. Visibility at Kanpur Air Force Station was recorded at 5,000 metres at 11 am, with mist and cumulonimbus clouds.
Weather advisories issued that morning included warnings of thunderstorms, rain, mist, poor visibility and low clouds. However, the AAIB has not identified weather as the cause of the accident.
Garmin Data Under Analysis
The aircraft had a Garmin G950 glass cockpit system that records flight data but was not equipped with a cockpit voice recorder or a digital flight data recorder.
The damaged Garmin units have been recovered from the wreckage, and data from the Garmin data card has been downloaded and is being analysed.
The AAIB has also retrieved and quarantined both engines for detailed examination. Fuel and oil samples have been collected, while the aircraft’s airframe, propeller and engine records, radio records, work orders, flight reports and weather documents are being examined.
Pilots Held Valid Licences
The 39-year-old instructor held a Commercial Pilot Licence and had 3,337 hours and 59 minutes of total flying experience, including 283 hours and five minutes on the Tecnam P2006T.
The 28-year-old trainee held a Student Pilot Licence and had 199 hours and 25 minutes of total flying experience, including four hours on the aircraft type. The report said both pilots held valid licences and medical certificates at the time of the accident.
International Agencies Assisting Probe
Representatives from Italy’s ANSV and the US National Transportation Safety Board are assisting the investigation, along with a technical adviser from aircraft manufacturer Tecnam, in accordance with ICAO Annex 13.
The AAIB said its findings remain preliminary and may change as the investigation progresses.
