Air India Express B738 crash

[WellFrackMe]

Facts are facts!!!!!

Having been involved in the AXI Flight Training Dept. I can confirm the following;

The CVR was 120 mins. as are ALL of AXI's fleet.

"Controlled Rest Breaks" were the norm flying these sort of sectors. Their purpose was to increase the situational awareness/performance of the crews. To avoid exactly this sort of an event!
Usually 30 mins. before TOD, both crew members should have been awake and preparing for approach, etc.

The SOP/FCTM clearly stated the criteria for stabilzed approaches and so forth.

The Boeing FCTM clearly states what "not to do" when reversers are deployed after touchdown on landing!
These facts seem not to have been acknowledged nor followed by this crew.

The GPWS obviously worked, and provided very important inputs to the crew and were avoided.

The CP seems to have felt his abilities were equal to that of a Boeing Test Pilot, who maybe could have managed after landing, to cancel reversers, stab. down trim, speed brakes down detent, Max. thrust and to retract flaps to at least 25. Then maybe rotated at SS+1kt before it was too late and they would have made it.

Was this CP a B737 Test Pilot ever?

The FO who rightfully knew they were un-stabilized demonstrated the lack of Command Capability (he was doing his UG I believe?) in taking control of the aircraft, instead thought it better to transmit his essentially useless RT or Inter-cocpit calls. We see the price he and all others paid for that decision. Maybe in this case physical intervention or even a slap on the CPs face would have proven to have been the right choice?

In my opinion AXI was extremely poorly run from the training/checking side while I was there and from reports of current training personel - still is.

Not one Foreign CP was ever checked by their Agent for their credentials, experience, References nor seriously probed for their past history before joining.
Foreign Pilots who had an Instructor Rating from Timbuck Too Authority on Piston Aircraft were given TRI Validations on the 737NG by the DGAC and provided their form of training and checking for AXI! These were people who were experts on Carb Heat, now knew all there was about HMU's without looking at one book or receiving any approved TRTO courses!

No interview was ever held nor any sort of serious sim. check to join as a Foreigner.

Initial Line Training for new Foreign CPs consisted usually of 4 sectors - with one night landing that was it and release for flight!

Nepotism, favourtism, etc. are factors that led to this. That includes most Managers (all Indians by the way), etc. were in their current positions mainly due to - you guessed it -Vitamin A-! They all knew the current status but it was accepted and allowed to get worse since 2006. Dozens of qualified Foreigners commented on this, but to fall on deaf ears.

During my time there, after dozens of Flight Safety Reports written, many serious QAR violations being recorded by our Safety Dept. on crews. In one 3 month block 6 GPWS Terrain Warning in IMC and the CPs never disconnected the AP and took appropriate actions!
Such items -very very few were ever responded too by Management correctly...... so this all catches up eventiually as we see here.

That is why I left AXI long.

The best is the Manager/Chief Pilot who was in charge of this Fleet during those times, has been removed and is now in charge of Foreign Captain Recruitment for AXI.