Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB)

AAIB:

1. Legal Establishment:

   • The AAIB was formally established by the Government of India Order dated 26 May 2011

   • Its legal framework comes from the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2012 which came into force on 5 July 2012

2. On-Paper Autonomy:

   • The 2012 Rules created AAIB as a statutory investigative body under the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR)

   • It was designed to comply with ICAO Annex 13 standards for independent accident investigation

3. Contradiction in Practice:

   • While the rules grant it statutory status, in reality:

     • Its Director is appointed by the MoCA

     • It shares office space with DGCA at Safdarjung Airport

     • Funding comes through the Civil Aviation Ministry

   • This creates the paradox of being "statutory on paper but not in practice"

4. Key Legal Provisions:

   • Rule 5 of the 2012 Rules mandates AAIB to "conduct independent investigations"

   • Rule 8 gives it powers to summon witnesses and demand documents

   • But Rule 12 allows the MoCA to "review" final reports

The core issue is that while the 2012 Rules created a statutory framework, the Aircraft Act, 1934 (the parent law) still keeps aviation oversight under MoCA control, creating structural conflicts.