Back-to-Back NSOP Crashes Raise Safety Concerns; Experts Call for Mandatory Black Boxes In Small Aircraft

By Surabhi Gupta

New Delhi: The recent string of deadly accidents involving Non-Scheduled Operator's Permit (NSOP) aircraft have brought to fore the lack of a regulatory structure in India for smaller aircraft, especially since the types are not required to have black boxes.

In a matter of less than one month, 12 people have died in two separate aviation accidents raising serious questions on ways to ensure adequate safety for operation of NSOPs as well as aircraft selection and the ability to adequately investigate accidents involving smaller aircraft.

The latest incident occurred on February 23, when a Beechcraft C90A aircraft operated by Redbird Airways, functioning as an air ambulance from Ranchi to Delhi, crashed shortly after takeoff in Jharkhand’s Chatra district. All seven persons onboard, including two crew members, lost their lives. The aircraft, manufactured in 1987, did not have a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) or Flight Data Recorder (FDR), commonly referred to as a 'black box'.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), there was no regulatory requirement for installing such systems at the time the aircraft received its Certificate of Airworthiness in 1987. The aircraft had a maximum take-off weight of 4,583 kg, placing it below the 5,700 kg threshold under which CVR and FDR requirements are mandated for aircraft certified after specific cut-off dates, January 1, 2016, for CVR and January 1, 1987, for FDR.

The regulatory gap has now come under sharp criticism from aviation experts. Civil aviation expert Sanjay Lazar said the rules need urgent revision. “The DGCA should amend the rules to make it compulsory for such aircraft to have black boxes. In many jurisdictions, CVRs and FDRs are mandated only for aircraft exceeding 5,700 kg. But the Beechcraft falls below that threshold, leaving a critical safety gap,” he said.

On the other hand, aviation safety consultant Mark D Martin argued that while black boxes are useful, their absence does not make investigations impossible. “Regulations use the word ‘should’, not ‘shall’. Investigators rely on multiple sources, eyewitness accounts, flight path analysis, and environmental conditions. A skilled investigator can piece together the sequence of events even without a DFDR,” he told ETV Bharat.

However, Martin also raised serious concerns about operational decisions leading up to the crash. He questioned the use of an ageing aircraft for medical evacuation. “For air ambulances, aircraft older than 20–30 years should ideally not be used. This aircraft was not the right choice. A jet aircraft could have flown above adverse weather and completed the journey much faster,” he said.

He further pointed to systemic lapses, including poor decision-making by operators and brokers. “Why offer such an aircraft in bad weather conditions? Even in emergencies, pilots must prioritise safety. If weather conditions are unfavourable, the aircraft should turn back,” he added.

The Jharkhand crash comes close on the heels of another fatal NSOP accident in Maharashtra’s Baramati, where a Learjet 45 crash killed five persons, including Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The recent occurrences of non-scheduled aviation operations have created increased apprehension regarding their safety in India.

Consequently, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has implemented stricter measures for NSOP Operators to address this issue. Some examples of how this can be accomplished include- increasing the amount of audits, increasing the level of oversight, and creating a safety rating system to assess compliance and accountability with regards to their operations.

Supporting data was presented to the Rajya Sabha, where it was reported that there have been 36 aircraft accidents in India since January 2022; the majority are associated with flight training (19 incidents) and NSOP's (2 incidents) as opposed to scheduled commercial airline operations. The high risk associated with NSOP's will continue to exist unless there are regulations in place to ensure they can operate safely.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is responsible for investigating all of the above-mentioned incidents. It follows ICAO protocols to conduct investigations, which include: analyzing technical failures, human errors, and environmental factors.

Though commercial aviation has a relatively good safety record; experts feel that the impaired safety record of smaller segments is due to regulatory oversight failures. The absence of black boxes on older and lighter aircraft hinders the ability to conduct data-driven investigations and creates uncertainty about implementing preventative measures to enhance safety.

While the AAIB continues its investigation of the crash in Jharkhand, many professionals are debating whether policy reform will be effective at curbing future accidents. There is general agreement that better operational oversight and more strict requirements for newer safety equipment and review of the maximum age for aircraft are necessary.

There is clear evidence now that while India’s aviation industry is growing exponentially, there is still an immediate need for standardization of safety across the various sectors of aviation in India, mainly non-scheduled operations.

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