GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR GENERAL CIVIL AVIATION

AIR SAFETY CIRCULAR NO.3 of 2001

(AV.15011/2/2001-AS)

Subject:  Crowd control in case of aircraft accidents – role of Police authorities.

            This Office Air Safety Circular No.3 of 1984 issued in July 1984 elaborates the action required of Police authorities in case of aircraft accidents.  The above circular elaborates action required by the State Police authorities with regard to:-

i)                   Rescue of passengers, crew and other persons on ground affected by the disaster;

ii)                 Rendering first aid and medical assistance to the injured, medical examination of the crew members alive and post-mortem examination of the dead crew members and passengers and release of the bodies;

iii)               Guarding of wreckage and preserving of evidences including eye-witness account including photography;

iv)               Coordination with aircraft accident investigating agencies.

2.         In a recent airline aircraft accident in the precincts of the city near the airport, involving fatalities amongst the crew, passengers and also persons on ground, the Court of Inquiry investigating the accident under Rule 75 of Aircraft Rules, 1937 had observed that the airport crash fire tenders and the city fire tenders encountered considerable difficulty in reaching the crash site and carrying out rescue work due unmanageable crowd that assembled at the site immediately after the accident.    This crowd with tempers running high and having a general tendency to target anybody in uniform or position of authority had hampered the passage of rescue vehicles and rescue efforts.  At times, hundreds of people were found trying to climb on to the top of rescue vehicles that slowed down the rescue of efforts.  It was only after arrival of reinforcements from State Police Forces and the Army the situation could be brought under control and rescue operations could continue till all the dead bodies were extricated from the wreckage.  Also at the city Govt. hospital where the bodies of the fatally injured persons were taken for post-mortem a surging crowd had collected which had hampered the movement of rescue vehicles as well as the doctors.

3.         The assistance of the State Govt. authorities/ State Police authorities is therefore necessary  in all aircraft accident disasters within their jurisdiction for effective control of the crowd at the site of the accident to facilitate immediate rescue efforts and removal of dead and injured from the site to the hospitals.

New Delhi

Dated : 2 May 2001

(K. Gohain)

Dy. Director General of Civil Aviation

For Director General of Civil Aviation

To

  All Chief Secretaries of States in the Union of India

  All Commissioners/ Inspectors General of Police in the States

  Ministry of Home Affairs

  Airports Authority of India for circulation to their airports and liaising with the State 
  administration.

  Govt./ private aerodromes (HAL Bangalore, Lengpui Mizoram, Cochin International  
  Airport, Puttaparthy )

Internal Distribution:

All Directorates in DGCA HQ.

All DDGs including CFOI

DG/ Jt.DG