Kozhikode plane crash: Inquiry panel formed, report expected in 5 months

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) said on Thursday it has formed a five-member panel to inquire into the circumstances of a plane crash in Kerala's Kozhikode airport last week in which 18 people were killed.

In a statement, the board said, "The investigator-in-charge will complete its inquiry and submit the report to AAIB, India, preferably within five months from the date of the issue of this order."

Captain S S Chahar, a former designated examiner on B737NG (aircraft), will be the investigator-in-charge to inquire into the circumstances of the August 8 accident.

He will be assisted by four other investigators, the AAIB said.

An Air India Express flight from Dubai with 190 people, including a six-member crew, overshot the tabletop runway during landing at the Kozhikode airport in heavy rains on August 7 evening.

The narrow-body B737 plane fell into a valley 35 feet below and broke into pieces, killing 18 people, including both pilots.