Air India plane crash: Rashtriya Kamgar Sena flags absence of third pilot

Mumbai, Jun 12 (PTI) Shiv Sena-affiliated trade union Rashtriya Kamgar Sena (RKS) has raised concern over the "absence" of a third pilot onboard the Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft, which crashed immediately after take-off for Gatwick (London) from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday.

Talking to PTI, union President Kiran Pawaskar termed the crash as "unfortunate" and said that RKS will press for a thorough investigation into the accident.

"It is common practice in long-haul flights to have a second officer or third pilot, who could assist in critical situations," Pawaskar told PTI.

Alleging that the decision to do away with the third pilot was made "in the name of cost cutting", he said that the presence of an additional trained hand (pilot) in the cockpit could have been helpful in such emergency situations.

The Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed into a medical college complex and burst into a ball of fire moments after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, possibly killing almost everyone on board in one of the country's worst air disasters.

Of the 230 passengers on board, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national. The pilot of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner issued a 'Mayday' distress call, denoting a full emergency, soon after takeoff, the Air Traffic Control at Ahmedabad said.

"We demand the C-inspection report of the aircraft involved in the incident. There is a fear that cost-cutting might have led to certain compromises," he alleged.

A C-inspection is a comprehensive annual maintenance check mandated for aircraft.

Pawaskar pointed out that Air India possesses its own hangars and thus need not send its planes to Bengaluru for such inspections.

"The Tata Group must come forward with a detailed report. Despite raising concerns related to cabin crew and safety protocols multiple times, the company has not responded to our requests for a meeting. At the very least, it should hear us out," Pawaskar said. PTI ND IAS HVA