Safety lessons in general aviation

As India's general aviation sector anticipates rapid growth, safety concerns intensify. Regulators must leverage these incidents to build a robust safety ecosystem with stringent checks and swift corrections.

- RASHEED KAPPAN

Ahead of a substantial growth anticipated for general aviation in the country, the spotlight is slowly shifting to an area of deep concern: Safety.

As the number of nonscheduled aircraft and flights gathers pace, past accidents offer the regulators a template to put in place a robust ecosystem of nonnegotiable air safety with the right checks and sharp course corrections. Beyond the recurring helicopter accidents, the 2023 Learjet 45XR incident in Mumbai exposed serious holes in the general aviation safety record.

Landing in heavy rain and low visibility, the nonscheduled passenger flight had drifted off the runway. A stall warning had sounded after the autopilot was disconnected, as reported by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) data shows increasing accidents linked to nonscheduled operators. In the six years between 2014 and 2020, these operators accounted for 39.3% of the air incidents. At least 36 accidents have been reported since 2022, where both scheduled and nonscheduled aircraft, trainee aircraft and helicopters were involved. Most accidents were attributed to a multiplicity of factors: Systemic failures, human error and noncompliance with procedures.

RIGOROUS PRE-FLIGHT CHECKS

Globally, general aviation safety mandates have matured substantially, learning deeply from crashes worldwide. Today, these lessons stress rigorous pre-flight checks, strict adherence to standard operating procedures, meticulous flight planning, and consistent risk management. No compromises are now allowed with pilot proficiency, fatigue management and use of checklists to rule out every error during critical flight phases.