The Indian government's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has ordered a probe into the Air India Express plane crash in the southern Indian state of Kerala last week, officials said Friday.
"AAIB, India desires as per its mandate to investigate and determine the probable cause(s) and contributory factor(s) leading to the accident and make recommendations to avoid recurrence of such accident in future," read the order issued by Director General Aurobindo Handa.
Rescue ops onsite /Reuters
In a statement, the board said, "the investigator-in-charge will complete its inquiry and submit the report to AAIB, India, preferably within five months from the date of the issue of this order."
Last week Air India Express IX 1344 crash-landed at Kozhikode airport in Kerala, killing 18 people, including both pilots and injuring more than 150 others.
The AAIB director-general appointed Captain S S Chahar, former designated examiner as investigator-in-charge, to inquire into the circumstances of the accident.
He will be assisted by four people who are experts in the field.
Helplines provide information to the family members of the deceased and the injured passengers. /Reuters
"The investigator-in-charge will complete its inquiry and submit the report to AAIB India, preferably within five months from the date of issue of this order," said the order.
India's civil aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said a late touchdown may have caused the plane to overshoot the tabletop runway.
The plane landed amid heavy rainfall and fell into a 35 feet gorge before breaking into two parts.
The flight with 190 people on board was bringing Indian citizens back from Dubai. Investigators have recovered the black box and cockpit voice recorder from the crash site.