Air India Phuket-Delhi Flight Incident: AAIB Collecting, Examining All Relevant Evidence

New Delhi: Aircraft accident probe agency AAIB on Tuesday said it is engaged in the systematic collection, preservation and examination of all relevant technical, operational, medical and human factor evidence related to the Air India Phuket-Delhi flight incident last week.

On August 4, an Air India Airbus A320 aircraft, registration VT-EXO, operating the flight AI 2379 from Phuket to Delhi, experienced a sudden altitude variation of around 300 feet during cruise. The plane later stabilised and landed safely in the national capital.

In the incident, injuries were reported to 20 passengers and 4 cabin crew members, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said in a statement on Tuesday.

There were 137 passengers, including 3 infants, and 8 crew members onboard the plane.

AAIB said it is presently engaged in the systematic collection, preservation and examination of all relevant technical, operational, medical and human-factor evidence.

"This includes examination of the aircraft and its systems, recorded flight data, relevant operational and maintenance records, medical information, and interviews with persons concerned. All material evidence will be examined in its entirety before any conclusions are drawn," it said.

Officials of France's Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses pour la securite de l'aviation civile (BEA) and technical representatives of Airbus are providing the necessary technical assistance to AAIB.

AAIB said it would issue the preliminary findings within the stipulated timeframe in accordance with the applicable provisions and ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) protocols.

Further information will be placed in the public domain at the appropriate stage of the investigation, the statement said.

Generally, the preliminary findings are published within a month of the incident.

According to the probe agency, the sole objective of the investigation is to determine the circumstances and contributing factors relating to the occurrence and to identify appropriate safety measures to prevent recurrence.

"The investigation is independent, evidence-based and comprehensive, and no inference regarding the cause of the occurrence should be drawn from any isolated piece of information while the investigation is in progress," it added.

AAIB also appealed to all concerned, including the media and public, to respect the investigation process and refrain from drawing conclusions on the basis of incomplete, unverified or selectively available information.