A little more information
Just received email replies from India:
PJ2
Q. Does Air India maintain and use a flight data analysis program on the B777 fleet or any fleet?
A. Random sampling of QAR data takes place. Data link/ACARS real time download of engine/flight data is thought to be implemented but the resource to process fleet wide data is not available. Also of interest is that neither CPDLC or EFB is used on the B777 – separate issues but indicative, perhaps, of a particular corporate mindset.
Q. Does Air India maintain a system of Air Safety Reports which can provide for anonymous input if so desired?
A. There is one but not at all trusted as the established procedure is: identify culprit, rigorously interview, belittle, apportion full blame, excoriate, punish.
Q. Does Air India have a Safety Reporting Policy which holds harmless anyone who experiences an incident and self-reports?
A. You’re kidding, right? You’d then never have a suitable culprit to be punished
Q. Is the fear of being fired or of "death in a hotel room" for reporting a serious incident a distinct possibility at Air India which one must guard him/herself against?
A. Being fired at any time for a small transgression is a distinct possibility at Air India. Second point concerning "death in a hotel room" – anything can happen in India, especially in “Maximum City” (BOM).
Nikon744
Just before I left, nearly a year ago, I do recall insane low altitude clearances at DEL off new runway 29/11, despite there being perfectly reasonable SIDs published. My friends tell me these idiotic clearances continue and that the cover-up of this incident contributes to their continuance. From memory the easily flown published SID north/westbound off R/W11 calls for a right turn at altitude 1,700 feet, climbing to altitude 3,600 feet. Off R/W29 it is a left turn, heading 170 and climbing to, I think, FL60 (Transition 4,000 feet, MSA 2,600 feet). I will, of course, stand corrected, as memory is a tricky thing. The point is that I am told that these SIDs are still not in use as of this date and, hence, life is made a lot more difficult as a result (indeed, as events appear to have shown).
From information passed to me, the AI noise abate SOP out of DEL is to select Page 2 of Takeoff in the FMC and insert Accel Ht - 1,500 (altitude 2,277 feet) and Thrust Reduction - Flap1.
My information is that the Auto Throttle Arming Switches were turned off by the handling pilot (aircraft commander).