Govt seeks psychology experts, others for AAIB investigations

To beef up manpower resources for investigating aircraft accidents, the Civil Aviation Ministry is looking to rope in experts from diverse areas, including psychology and meteorology.
The government is in the process of creating a pool of experts who would help with the work of Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which has become an independent body.
The regulatory framework has been put in place for functioning of AAIB as an entity independent of aviation watchdog DGCA.
As many as 21 positions at AAIB, including the post of Director General (DG), have been notified.
In order to help the bureau during its investigations, the Ministry is looking for experts who would be initially empanelled for two years.

Experts are being sought from various areas such as aviation operations, engineer, in flight safety personnel, pilots, air traffic controller, human factors and aviation psychology, aviation medicine, meteorology and legal, the Ministry said in a communication.

AAIB takes the help of experts on a case-to-case basis while probing aircraft accidents.
"The remuneration to be paid to empanelled experts as on date is Rs 1,00,000 when appointed chairman of committee or court of inquiry and Rs 60,000 when appointed member of committee or court of inquiry," the communication said.
Generally, AAIB probes accidents involving aircraft having a mass of over 2,250 kilograms or a turbojet powered airplane in the Indian territory notwithstanding its registration.

AAIB was under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and making it an independent body was required under ICAO norms.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is a specialised agency under the United Nations which has the mandate to ensure that local civil aviation operations and regulations in different countries are in conformity with global norms.
With AAIB becoming an independent body, concerns about possible conflict of interest would be addressed.