INDIAN AVIATION
Aviation“CON”fusion
CAPT. A. RANGANATHAN
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Self-analysis and implementation of international standards is the only way to enforce a secure environment in our airports. The second in a series of articles on air safety by aviation expert
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Photos: Capt. A. Ranganathan and D.Satyajit
What about safety?: Open drains and unmanned checkposts are not in conformity with the ICAO Security manual. These provide easy access to unauthorised entry into the operational areas.
“The aim in chess is to win the game. Therefore, one needs to think rationally even if it means being merciless while doing self analysis. Objectivity allows you to grow”
Viswanathan Anand
Civil aviation in India needs to do a lot of self analysis. Timely introspection and action may prevent a tragedy that is lurking around the corner due to gross inaction. 911772611 may sound like a mobile telephone number. When it is broken up as 9/11, 7/7 and 26/11, it becomes the dateline for the terror attacks, which drew the world’s attention.
Several nations have implemented the the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation norms. Aviation accidents have also to the fore the concern and attention of the international aviation community. In the keynote address to the ISASI (International Society of Air Safety Investigators) held in September 9, 2008, Wendy Tadros, the chairperson of Transportation Safety Board of Canada, said “Since the Air France accident at Toronto, 10 other wide body aircrafts have gone of the runway around the world in bad weather. This tells us that the potential for landing accidents in bad weather remains.”
Addressing basic issues
ICAO Security Manual requires ID cards to be displayed on the outer garment above the waistline. This rule is not enforced.
How do we address aviation safety and security in India? The ICAO Standards and Recommendations pertaining to Annex 14 (Aerodrommes) and Annex 17 (Safeguarding International Civil Aviation against acts of Unlawful interference ), Doc.8973 (Security Manual ) and Doc. 9811 (Manual on Implementation of the Security Provisions of Annex 6 ) are followed more in the breach. The security in aviation comes under the Bureau of Civil Aviation (BCAS ) and some aspects of security come under the Director General Civil Aviation and the Airport Authority of India, and they are supposed to enforce and implement the ICAO regulations. The layout and design of airports and the surroundings are to follow the laid down norms. Unfortunately, Ignorance or incompetence seems to prevail in ensuring a safe and secure environment.
George Bernard Shaw said that cricket was a game played by 11 flannelled fools and watched by 11000 fools. Today, the number 11 is played around with nonchalance. Everything revolves around the term “9/11”. The tragic event took place in 2001. ICAO issued the first edition of Doc.9811 in 2002 and the latest Annex 17 was issued in 2006. We the 110 million will be fools if we remain silent spectators to the incompetence of the playing 11 comprising the DGCA, AAI and BCAS.
9/11 becomes thebenchmark whenever there is a threat perception in aviation. It is not easy to duplicate the tragic event that was planned to perfection by a highly motivated and trained team. There are several images of 9/11 in the site: http://911research.wtc7.net/wtc/
evidence/photos/index.html
In the images, one can see the smoke trail after the attack on the first tower showing a moderate wind blowing across. For the attack on the second tower, the pilot is seen correcting for the drift due to the wind. To make this correction accurately for an aircraft travelling at 600KMPH and weighing 250 tons, requires skill and experience in handling. It is not a manoeuvre conducted by someone who has practised on a home PC. It requires the skill of a pilot who is experienced in handling heavy jets in a turn, to deal with the inertia and speed.
ICAO has implemented several requirements to counter terror attacks. One of them is a requirement to augment current identification system with special temporary card or permits, during periods of high risk or specific threats. These are to be issued on daily basis and taken back the same day. There is also a mandatory requirement for staff, to display prominently, their identification card that is clearly visible. The ID should be clearly displayed on the outer garment above the waistline. This very important rule is often ignored.
There have been two instances of fatal civilian airliners being shot down. On September 1, 1983, the Korean Air Lines flight KAL 007, was shot down by the Soviet Air Force. All 269 persons on board were killed. On July 3, 1988, the U.S. Navy shot down an Iran air flight over the Straits of Hormuz, killing all 290 persons on board. Earlier, in 1978, a Korean Air Lines flight 902 was shot at by the Soviet Air force. It was alleged that the crew did not respond to warning signals from the Air Force fighters. The aircraft made an emergency landing on a frozen lake and 107 passengers and crew survived.
Post 9/11, passenger aircraft can be shot down when it is suspected that it has been commandeered. ICAO has put in place identification procedures to prevent this. One of the mandatory requirements is to have a card, easily accessible to the cockpit crew, on the identification signals. A failure to respond in the correct manner will result in the aircraft being shot down. The DGCA has not implemented this serious requirement and none of the airlines in India has carried out this important ICAO recommendation. Identification procedures may vary in different countries. Failure to train crew on this important aspect can have serious consequences.
Lack of coordination
Accidents and incidents due to runway confusion – landing on wrong runways or encroaching on active runways have made a large dent on the industry.
Threat perception and identification is very important. Strangely, we seem to thrive on the “cry wolf’ theory. The agencies concerned with aviation safety and security would do well to read about Moshe Dayan and the tactics he used to win several wars for Israel. Major Allan A. Katzberg of USMC wrote about Moshe Dayan And Israel’s Military Tradition: The old adage “know your enemy” is only half complete. The second half of that axiom is “know your ally”. If knowing what makes an enemy “tick” better enables a soldier to defeat his foe, then understanding the motivations of an ally will better enable the professional to work with that ally in defeating a common enemy.
The enemies are within! 26/11 showed up the lack of trust and coordination between various agencies. The ‘ego’ factor and sycophancy are too high in India. We fortify the entrance to terminal buildings but leave the flanks open. That us how Moshe Dayan took the Arabs by surprise in 1967. Half knowledge is more dangerous than no knowledge. Believing that our system is superior to the norms practised around the world is a fallacy. Living in misplaced comfort of complacency has cost our country on several occasions. The Himalayan blunder in the war against Chins in the 1960s and the Mumbai tragedy are two examples.
Terrorists of the 9/11/ and 26/11 kind are not psychopaths or emotional. They are cold blooded and they are willing to give up their lives for a cause. But, they extract a heavy price for every drop of their blood. To underestimate their resolve is the biggest mistake. Merciless self-analysis and ruthless implementation of international standards are the only answer to enforcing a secure environment in our airports.
Building 500 airports with fancy terminals seems to be the priority of our authorities. The runway and the surroundings are the heart and soul of an airport. The terminal building is just a cosmetic addition. Unmanned check posts and open drains around the operations area, make a mockery out of security preparations. A look at the state of current security preparedness of existing airports will show the emptiness of the boast “Indian Aviation is shining”.
If security has loopholes, the concept of safety in India is worse. The Civil Aviation Ministry and the various agencies they control, have been numbed into slumber of complacency. We have had several serious overrun accidents and near disasters due to communication errors of Air Traffic controllers. ICAO safety audit had identified that there is a serious shortage of qualified manpower to ensure safety. Yet, we are misled into thinking that everything is safe as the fatal air disasters are far between.
There is only one standard for international civil aviation to follow. That is set by the ICAO. If the DGCA has been found wanting in competency, the AAI also lags behind as far as compliance of ICAO norms are concerned. Their refusal to follow the Annex 14 standards in Runway friction testing as well as maintenance is nothing short of appalling. They hide behind the manufacturer’s certificate on the test tyres as opposed to the Annex 14 Standards, talks of their complete ignorance and incompetence of international norms. The DGCA, in turn, fails to enforce safety norms on runways and airports.
Authorities and airlines in India fail to understand the cost of an accident. Apart from the loss of lives, the price you pay in terms of confidence and credibility, are very high. The table released by the recent study of flight Safety Foundation lists the major accidents in recent times. It highlights the cost of accidents. Countries around the world with excellent safety and security standards are always on the move to implement the latest standards and lessons learnt from safety studies. Knowledge has to be updated. Our authorities must realise that the mind is like a parachute. It works and is effective only when it is open.
Warning sign
The incident between two airliners in Delhi, on December 28, 2008, should be an eyeopener and a warning. People should remember the disaster in Tennerife when two Boeing 747s collided on ground due to misunderstanding of the communication. ICAO has standardised the phraseology to be used for all radio communications. It has also mandated that pilots should be conversant with minimum standard in English language. Unfortunately, there is no such mandatory requirement for ATC or other important personnel. Except for pilots, there are no minimum medical or fitness standards required for any other category of personnel involved in aviation in India. Indian aviation is going to pay a heavy price for this complacency.
India has proved to be soft on terror and safety. Khandahar and Mumbai have exposed our will to act. “Talk Talk” may be a good ploy in diplomacy but it hardly works in areas which require objective and prompt action. Conning people into thinking that we have everything under control is a mistake we should desist from. Being weak kneed is one thing but when it is combined with knee jerk reactions, our lives will remain soft targets. Terror, safety and security transcend borders. Thinking international and not domestic is the answer.
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