A year after the Air India crash that claimed 158 lives, the official investigation report remains conspicuously silent on six critical questions. As a former military intelligence officer, I see this not as mere bureaucratic delay but as a strategic vulnerability. Each unanswered question is a threat vector that hostile actors can exploit to undermine our aviation security. The crash of Flight AI-101 near Kozhikode was initially attributed to pilot error and adverse weather. But scratch the surface, and the cracks in our systemic readiness become glaring.
First, why did the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) fail to capture key final minutes? In any proper military debrief, missing data is a red flag. Here, it suggests either technical negligence or deliberate tampering. If it was negligence, it represents a failure in maintenance protocols akin to a logistics breakdown in a theatre of war. If tampered, we face an active adversary within our own infrastructure. Either scenario demands immediate escalation of oversight.
Second, the role of the air traffic controller remains murky. Reports suggest the controller cleared the plane for landing despite known crosswind limitations on the tabletop runway at Calicut International Airport. Why wasn't the approach aborted earlier? In any military operation, such a decision would be scrutinised for signs of cognitive overload or even coercion. We must ask: was there external pressure to keep the runway operational?
Third, the runway's safety margin was alarmingly thin. The 2,700-metre strip was certified for narrow-body aircraft, but the accident aircraft was a Boeing 737, which touches down at high speeds. Why did the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) not re-evaluate this risk after a near-miss in 2019? This is a failure of risk assessment akin to a commander ignoring intelligence that a bridge can't support tank movements.
Fourth, the aircraft's brakes were reportedly worn. Who signed off on the maintenance log? In military logistics, a single dot on a spreadsheet can mean the difference between mission success and friendly casualties. Here, the trail of responsibility seems deliberately obscured.
Fifth, the crew's actions post-crash reveal a troubling lack of survivability planning. The wings and fuselage were ripped apart, but emergency slides failed, and exits jammed. This points to a systemic failure in survivability: the very protocols meant to protect passengers after impact failed. In modern warfare, we call this a catastrophic breach of rear-area security.
Sixth, and most crucially, why has the final report been delayed for over two months? Transparency is a cornerstone of deterrence. Every day without answers signals to state actors like China and Iran that our aviation oversight is porous. They are watching. They take notes. They test.
This is not just about one crash. It is about the integrity of our critical transportation infrastructure. The Air India probe must be treated as a strategic priority, not a bureaucratic tick-box exercise. We need a full, independent review with intelligence-clearance sharing. If these six questions remain unanswered, we are inviting another incident. And next time, the casualties could be higher. The enemy does not rest. Neither should we.
