Kozhikode crash: US NTSB joins Air India Express accident investigation

A Boeing 737 aircraft broke into two pieces after overshooting the runway in Kozhikode airport on August 7

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has joined the investigation of the Air India Express plane crash in Kerala on August 7, sharing its expertise with the probe team in India.

NTSB is an independent US government agency investigating aviation accidents and will work with the Indian probe in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation norms. 

"The NTSB received a notification shortly after the accident and has appointed a US accredited representative to assist the Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau," said a spokesperson of the US agency.

"The Accredited Representative (Acc Rep) has designated Boeing and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration as technical advisors.  The Acc Rep is providing assistance from the United States, as we have done in many investigations.  Several investigators from Boeing and FAA have traveled to New Delhi to provide assistance locally," he added.

A Boeing 737 aircraft of Air India Express broke into two pieces after overshooting the runway in Kozhikode airport on August 7. Eighteen people, including two pilots, were killed in the accident. The aircraft was returning from Dubai.

While aviation safety experts have demanded a court of inquiry to investigate the accident, the government has entrusted the task to Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). A five member team headed by Captain S S Chahar has been appointed to probe the accident and submit report in five months. Other team members include operations expert Ved Prakash, senior aircraft maintenance engineer Mukul Bharadwaj, aviation medicine expert Group Captain ( Dr) Y S Dahiya and AAIB deputy director Jasbir Singh Largha.

As per ICAO norms the 'state (country) of occurrence' shall institute an investigation into the circumstances of the accident. Other countries too can participate in an investigation including those where the aircraft was designed and manufactured by deputing a representative.