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DNA SPECIAL: 'Had alerted DGCA about B737 Max 8 aircraft months ago': Advocate Yeshwant Shenoy

Advocate Yeshwant Shenoy’s mail highlighting problems in the aircraft received no response

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Aviation safety activist Yeshwanth Shenoy
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It took an aviation catastrophe killing 157 people for India to ban Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes when a city advocate had warned about issues with the aircrafts months ago.

Advocate Yeshwant Shenoy, who had previously approached the Bombay High Court seeking to make the country's airports and aviation industry safer for its citizens, had also written an email to the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), highlighting problems occurring in the Boeing 737 Max aircrafts, being operated by Jet Airways and SpiceJet a few months ago. The October 2018 Indonesia plane crash where a passenger plane carrying 189 people crashed into the sea off Jakarta minutes after taking off compelled Shenoy to write the mail. The copy of the aforesaid email is in possession with DNA.

Shenoy claims that a chance discovery during research made him take up this inquiry further. "I was doing my research on Neo engines, during which I came across a documentary on a private news channel that had me interested in issues relating to aircraft safety. It was then I started researching on the aircraft and got to know about their issues."

However, when DGCA didn't respond, Shenoy did not pursue the matter further. Furthermore, the cost of litigation held him back from elevating the matter and seeking an appropriate legal recourse.

When asked as to whether the onus rests with DGCA alone or the airlines should have shown more responsibility towards passenger safety, Shenoy quipped and complained about the lack of safety culture in the country.

"We cannot expect any Indian airline to do it voluntarily. Despite instance of smoke inside the cabin, neo-engines are still functional," complained Shenoy.

The issue is with building up a culture of safety in the country?

"India aviation regulator heavily relies on global aviation standards like EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) and FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) for setting its own safety standards. Dreamliner had a battery problem and we grounded it for a long time. Why can't we follow the suit for this Boeing aircraft as well? We lack a culture of being safety conscious. We only put a helmet when we spot a cop," said Shenoy.

Despite several attempts to reach out to DGCA on the email written by Shenoy over grounding B737 Max, DNA did not get any response.

INACTION

  • The October 2018 Indonesia plane crash where a passenger plane carrying 189 people crashed into the sea off Jakarta compelled Shenoy to write the mail 
     
  • However, when DGCA didn’t respond, Shenoy did not pursue the matter further 
     
  • Furthermore, the cost of litigation held him back from elevating the matter and seek legal recourse
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