ICAO Involvement in Air India Crash Investigation

India has agreed to the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) proposal to appoint an observer for the investigation into the Air India Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad that resulted in 275 fatalities. However, the UN agency will not participate directly in the probe.

About ICAO's Proposal

• ICAO's involvement in such cases is unprecedented and typically occurs in conflict zones or when military forces shoot down civilian aircraft.
• ICAO, a UN aviation watchdog, has 190 member countries.
• Juan Carlos Salazar Gómez, ICAO secretary general, communicated interest in participating in the investigation to ensure adherence to international protocols and maintain impartiality.

India's Position

• India aims to enhance trust in its investigation process and showcase adherence to global standards.
• The ICAO observer will have access to the crash site and investigation progress but will not be part of the investigating team.

Current Investigation Details

• Under ICAO’s Annex 13, the state of occurrence, India, is responsible for the investigation.
• The US National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) is involved due to the aircraft and engine manufacturers, Boeing and GE, being US companies.
• The UK is also involved due to the death of 53 British citizens.

Recent ICAO Involvements

• ICAO participated in the Ukrainian International Airlines flight PS-572 investigation, shot down by Iranian Republican Guards.
• Previously involved in the investigation of MH17, shot down by Russian-backed forces.

Progress in Air India Investigation

• The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has successfully extracted data from the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) in Delhi with NTSB investigators present.
• A multidisciplinary team led by AAIB’s Director General has been formed, including an aviation medicine specialist, air traffic controller, and NTSB representatives.