DGCA starts training schools audit after more accidents

New Delhi: Accidents at flying training schools in 2019 have spiked to five from three the year ago and two in 2017 prompting the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to start auditing these institutes to ensure that number of accidents fall to 2016 levels. During 2015 and 2016, no accidents were reported at these flying training institutes.

“The primary reason for incidents is operational, which happens by violating standard operating procedures (SOPs). We have also asked all regional teams to not just audit but also work with flying schools and bring down the number of accidents to zero,” said a senior DGCA official, who did not want to be identified.

According to DGCA data, three reasons have been blamed for accidents at flying training institutes in the past four years. Data showed operational reasons account for 70% of the total accidents at flying institutes followed by 20% by engineering and the rest 10% for other reasons.

Among the operational reasons, action performed incorrectly constitutes about 56% of the total accidents followed by flight planning and preparation that constituted 22% of the total accidents.

“On basis our preliminary investigation on recent aircraft accidents at flying schools, it has been found that not adhering to SOP causes accidents,” said the DGCA official.

He added that the DGCA officials at regional centres have been sensitised to not just audit these institutes but work with them in terms of ensuring that SOP is not compromised at any point in time. “Our offices will also work with institutes to ensure that they follow SOP to the last word, which will take ensure that accidents decline or come down to zero,” the official added.

Sources in DGCA said that its DG Arun Kumar’s target is to ensure zero accidents and believes that adherence to SOP will help achieve that.

The DGCA has carried out similar checks at various airports in the country to ensure that the procedures are being followed to the last letter.

In August, the aviation regulator initiated an audit of ground handling companies and a safety checklist too was issued to prevent accidents at airports after incidents at the runway side of the airport reported an increase.

A recent audit of GoAir also found that the airline was not following the duty hours of crew and a corrective action followed and the airline has now corrected any discrepancy in the rostering procedure for pilots and cabin crew.

“A large part of our incidents and accidents will be corrected, if everyone follows the SOP and the regulator’s job is to ensure that it is followed,” said one of the DGCA official quoted above.