US Agency Launches Parallel Probe Into Air India Plane Crash, Foreign Experts Visit Site
The US NTSB is conducting a parallel probe under international protocols, as the aircraft is American-made
The United States' National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched a parallel probe into the Air India plane crash here, drawing several international experts to the accident site.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India had earlier launched a detailed probe to get to the bottom of the cause of the deadly crash last week.
A total of 241 people on board the aircraft and 29 people on the ground were killed when the London-bound Boeing 787-8 (AI 171) crashed into a building of a medical college and burst into flames moments after it took off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
The US NTSB is conducting a parallel probe under international protocols, as the aircraft is American-made, an official release said.
The NTSB is an independent federal agency of the US tasked with investigating every civil aviation accident. They determine the probable causes of accidents and events and investigate and issue safety recommendations aimed at preventing future occurrences.
Several foreign experts were seen scouting the crash site for the last two days, checking the debris to find clues.
'We saw what you guys can see...It's just the same, as you can see from here..,' an expert from the UK told reporters without divulging much after he was asked about the crash site. According to sources, teams from Boeing and Air India are also assisting agencies in the probe.
Officials investigating the Air India plane crash have also confirmed that the cockpit voice recorder has been found. Earlier, the AAIB had said that only the flight data recorder of the ill-fated plane had been recovered.
Officials confirmed the recovery of CVR to PK Mishra, the principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who on Sunday inspected the crash site and visited the injured persons at the civil hospital.
'Officials confirmed to Dr Mishra that the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) have been located and secured,' the release had said. With the recovery of both the FDR and CVR, it would be easy for investigators to find the cause of the crash.
Officials from the Airports Authority of India and Gujarat police are assisting AAIB in the probe.
