Probe into Air India Express crash begins

The five-member Central team, appointed to probe the May 22 Air India Express crash near here, began their formal proceedings into the mishap, which claimed 158 lives.

 The team called in Mohd Sameer Maroor, one of the eye witnesses to the crash and who alerted police control room, and recorded his statement today, official sources said.

 The Inquiry Committee headed by retired Air Marshal Neelakanta S Gokhale had recorded the statement of 20 persons, including staff members of Air India yesterday, they said.

 The central team also interacted with flight dispatcher Sameer and others yesterday.

 According to sources, the team was expected to analyse later in the day the conversation between the ATC staff and the flight captain before the Air India Express Boeing 737-800 plunged into the Kunjaru valley, overshooting the tabletop runway minutes after landing at Bajpe airport.

 The team would continue the probe tomorrow, the sources said.