Probe Faults Poor Maintenance Oversight for Air India Emergency Landing in 2024

Fast Summary:

• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) investigated an emergency landing incident involving an Air India flight bound for Bengaluru that occurred on May 17, 2024.
• Flight AI-807, carrying 177 people onboard, made an emergency landing at Delhi airport due to a fire warning linked to the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU). No injuries were reported.
• The inquiry found the probable cause to be hot air leaks from APU components combined with exhaust gas ingestion into the compartment, triggering fire alerts.
• Important lapses in maintenance oversight were attributed to Air India’s Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation (CAMO), including insufficient monitoring adn failure to identify defects before the incident.
• DGCA criticized gaps in recordkeeping related to inspections of critical APU parts such as exhaust mufflers and bellows.
• Safety recommendations urge stronger monitoring of oil consumption data and preventive maintenance efforts for APU systems across all aircraft in Air India’s fleet.

Indian Opinion Analysis:
The findings by DGCA highlight critical issues concerning aviation safety management and operational oversight within Air India’s maintenance practices. Failures in effective control by CAMO over contracted maintenance services appear central to exposing underlying risks that led to this emergency incident. While no injuries occurred, lapses such as missing records of vital inspections underscore systemic inefficiencies that could compromise passenger safety if unresolved.

The recommendations emphasize proactive measures like more stringent tracking of oil consumption and inspection protocols for auxiliary systems – steps necessary not only for mitigating repeat incidents but also for ensuring regulatory compliance going forward. This situation reflects broader challenges faced by Indian carriers regarding maintaining robust internal controls amid expanding fleets and complex operations.

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