DGCA orders investigation into pilot's sudden death at Delhi airport

The investigation will examine whether the crew reported any sickness to Air Traffic Control (ATC) while airborne and, if so, whether ATC responded appropriately

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered a detailed investigation into the death of an Air India Express pilot, who died of a cardiac arrest at the Delhi airport shortly after flying in from Srinagar on April 9.

 

According to the regulator’s order dated April 17, the investigation will examine whether the crew reported any sickness to Air Traffic Control (ATC) while airborne, if so, whether ATC responded appropriately.

 

The probe will assess the medical history of the deceased pilot and determine if adequate precautions were taken during rostering. It will further evaluate whether any additional medical checks are necessary for pilots with known health risks.

 

It will review remaining onboard crew’s response on the time taken to transport the pilot after he reported feeling unwell and the level of preparedness of the airport’s medical facilities to handle such emergencies.

 

Existing DGCA guidelines and circulars related to pilot health and in-flight medical emergencies will be scrutinised, with recommendations for changes if deemed necessary, the order stated. The DGCA invoked Rule 13(1) of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017, to initiate the probe.

 

The investigation will be led by Vishal Yadav, deputy director of air safety at the DGCA. Group captain Murtaza, deputy medical superintendent (Civil Aviation), will serve as the subject matter expert on the panel. The team has been asked to submit the final investigation report at the earliest, preferably within six months.

 

Following the April 9 incident, several Air India Express pilots had voiced concerns about what they claimed was a delayed emergency response, stating that an ambulance took approximately 45 minutes to arrive.

 

In response, Delhi Airport CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar had stated on April 11 that a doctor was dispatched within eight minutes of the airport’s operations team being informed. “Timely medical aid was given and the pilot was transferred to a world class medical facility,” he had said