Kozhikode plane crash: Report to be submitted by investigator within 5 months, says Puri

Over a month after the tragic Kozhikode plane crash, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday informed that Captain S S Chahar is the investigator-in-charge who is probing the Air India Express crash. On August 7, an Air India Express flight from Dubai with 190 people overshot the tabletop runway during landing at the Kozhikode airport in heavy rain and fell into a valley 35 feet below and broke into pieces, killing 21 people, including the pilots.

Puri also said that Chahar will "submit the report to Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) preferably within five months from the date of order." Chahar was appointed by the Director-General of AAIB on August 13, 2020, for probing this case.

"The investigator-in-charge will determine the probable cause and contributory factors leading to this accident," the Union Minister stated in a written reply in Rajya Sabha to an unstarred question.

Earlier in the day, Puri appraised about the five people who were injured in the Kozhikode air crash last month and said that they are still receiving medical attention at hospitals.  In a written reply to a question, Puri told Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, "As on 14.09.2020, there are five persons who are still receiving medical attention at hospitals."

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READ: 5 people injured in Kozhikode air crash still receiving medical attention at hospitals: Puri

The Kozhikode plane crash

At about 7.41 pm on August 7, the Air India Express flight IX-1344 arriving from Dubai overshot the runway at the Kozhikode International Airport in Karipur. As per MoS MEA V Muraleedharan, the plan managed to land only in the second attempt. In rainy conditions, the plane containing 190 people on board fell down 35 feet into a slope and broke into two pieces. Immediately, the Kerala government and the Centre swung into action and commenced rescue and relief operations.18 persons including Wing Commander (retd) Deepak Sathe and co-pilot Akhilesh Kumar lost their lives in the flight crash.

The Centre has announced an interim relief of Rs.10 lakh to the families of the deceased, Rs.2 lakh to the seriously injured and Rs.50,000 to people with minor injuries. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan also announced Rs.10 lakh compensation to the kin of those who lost their lives besides bearing the medical expenses of the injured. Meanwhile, the black boxes of the flight have been recovered and an inquiry has been ordered under the Aircraft Act. On Thursday, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) formed a five-member panel to inquire into the circumstances of the plane crash. 

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