Pilot’s ‘non-adherence’ to protocols probable cause of Kerala crash: govt report

The pilot’s ‘non-adherence’ to the standard operating procedure is the probable cause of the Air India Express plane crash at the Kozhikode airport last year, according to a govt report. The role of the systemic failures as a contributory factor cannot be overlooked in the accident, the report added. 

The crash, involving a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, killed 21 people, including the two pilots, and injured several others. While trying to land at the airport amid rain, the aircraft overshot the runway and later broke into pieces. There were 190 people onboard when the crash happened on August 7, 2020. 

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In its 250-page long report, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau noted that the pilot continued an unstabilised approach and landed beyond the touchdown zone, “half way down the runway, in spite of a ‘Go Around’ call”.

A ‘Go Around’ is when pilots decide to abort a landing before or after touching down if they feel that they may not be able to bring the aircraft to a safe stop.