Human error arising from inadequate training and supervision was the principal cause of the Milestone school plane crash, while an unsafe school building and failures in planning and emergency response worsened the consequences.

An investigation commission formed to probe the tragedy disclosed the findings in its report.

Warning of the risks posed by crowded establishments near airport runways, the commission recommended gradually relocating schools, hospitals, clinics and other such facilities from areas directly under flight paths.

It also called for action against air force personnel found responsible and officials behind planning, land use, and building-rules violations.

The commission submitted its report to then chief adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on November 4 last year, a copy of which The Daily Star obtained recently.

The FT-7BGI training aircraft crashed into the Haider Ali building at Milestone School and College’s Diabari campus on this day last year, killing 36 people, mostly children.

The commission said Flight Lieutenant Toukir Islam had not received flying training with sufficient continuity, affecting his proficiency and ability to respond to the emergency. It also found inadequate supervision by his officer commanding or ground supervisor.

The report concluded that human error was the principal cause of the crash and that a possible environmental factor may have accelerated the sequence of events.

Closed-circuit camera footage showed a black mark on the aircraft’s windscreen before the crash. The air force’s internal inquiry said it could have been caused by a bird strike or another airborne object, but the report did not confirm the cause of the mark.

The pilot apparently pulled the control stick sharply, causing the aircraft to stall. He could not regain control.

The commission found no warning signs from the engine, hydraulic or control systems. The aircraft and engine were within their approved service lives, scheduled maintenance and inspections had been completed, and no previous fault was known.

The pilot had also been declared physically and mentally fit before the flight.

The report, however, identified an inconsistency between the pilot’s prescribed first solo-flight plan and an instruction from his officer commanding.

Under the mission profile, the pilot was expected to perform a “Low Go” during the second circuit. Instead, the officer commanding instructed him to return to “Initial” and begin another circuit.

The commission recommended urgent procedural reforms in the air force and action under its rules against the officer commanding, ground supervisor or any other personnel if their responsibility were established.

UNSAFE BUILDING

The commission found that the condition and use of the Haider Ali building played a role in increasing the casualties. The aircraft crashed close to the building’s only staircase, making the exit unusable because of intense fire and smoke.

The building had 19 classrooms used by 737 students and more than 50 teachers, but only one staircase. According to the fire service, it required three.

Its corridor was around four feet wide, against a minimum requirement of six feet.

Teachers and students also lacked basic knowledge of fire drills and firefighting, the report said.

The school authorities could not provide the commission with documents showing that the Haider Ali building had been approved.

They had promised to demolish the building while seeking approval for other buildings but continued to hold classes there, the probe report read.

The commission found 17 permanent or semi-permanent structures on the campus, of which only seven had Rajuk approval.

It said Rajuk was aware of the unauthorised buildings and the unauthorised use of approved structures, including the use of A2-category buildings as dormitories, but failed to act.

Col (retd) Nurun Nabi, an adviser to Milestone School and College, rejected the allegation that the buildings violated construction rules.

“The allegation that the building code was not followed is not correct. The buildings were constructed after obtaining Rajuk approval,” he told The Daily Star yesterday.

The commission recommended immediately demolishing the Haider Ali building and suspending classes in other unauthorised structures.

It also called for an education ministry investigation into allegations of overcrowded classrooms, taking of additional fees, and pressure on students to enrol in coaching classes.

‘AIRPORT LOCALITY’

The commission observed that take-off and landing are the most critical phases of a flight, making the presence of schools, hospitals, commercial establishments and other crowded facilities on a runway’s approach particularly dangerous.

Considering the casualties in the Milestone crash, it warned that a larger aircraft crashing into such a densely occupied area could cause many times more deaths and injuries.

Adil Muhammad Khan, a commission member and urban planner, questioned how schools, colleges, universities and hospitals were allowed to develop around the airport.

“Why did Rajuk fail to monitor these properly? We raised these issues in the report and recommended relocating the institutions,” he told The Daily Star yesterday.

“I do not know how the government will implement it, but it has to be implemented one way or another.”

Calling for the report to be made public, Adil said the recommendations did not concern only the Dhaka airport. “We also referred to the country’s existing airports and those that will be built in the future,” he said.

“Educational institutions and healthcare facilities around existing airports must be relocated gradually. A deadline should also be fixed for their relocation.

“At the same time, it must be ensured that such institutions are not allowed to develop near new airports.”

Adil said many people questioned why an airport should remain within a populated area. “What we found while working on the report was the opposite. It was the airport that had been surrounded by the locality,” he added.

RAJUK FAILURES

Much of the approach area around Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport had been designated as flood-flow zones, agricultural land and water-retention areas under earlier development plans.

The commission said Rajuk had effectively failed to control land use surrounding the airport.

The Civil Aviation Authority informed Rajuk several times about 630 buildings violating height restrictions around the airport between 2015 and 2025, but the commission found no clear information about action taken.

It recommended an investigation by the housing and public works ministry and legal action against officials responsible for unlawful land-use changes, planning violations, and construction beyond approved height limits.

A joint Rajuk-Civil Aviation cell should be formed to oversee structures in the airport’s vicinity, it said.

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS

The commission recommended planning a dedicated air force base outside Dhaka for military aircraft training and operational activities.

The report criticised the lack of coordination during the rescue operation, saying the inter-ministerial disaster management coordination committee was not visibly active.

It recommended emergency operation centres, an incident command system, urban search-and-rescue teams and regular disaster-response drills.

Fire service personnel should also receive specialised training in providing immediate care to burn victims, while the burn institute should be equipped to measure smoke toxicity in patients.

The commission proposed Tk 1 crore in compensation for the family of each child killed and Tk 80 lakh for each adult victim, excluding the pilot.

For injured children, it recommended Tk 60 lakh for severe injuries, Tk 30 lakh for moderate injuries, and Tk 15 lakh for mild injuries. For injured adults, the proposed amounts are Tk 40 lakh, Tk 20 lakh, and Tk 10 lakh.

Separate rehabilitation packages of Tk 15 lakh, Tk 9 lakh and Tk 1 lakh were proposed, depending on the severity of the injuries.

Part of the compensation should be paid directly and the rest placed in long-term savings instruments, while rehabilitation costs should be allocated directly to the designated hospital, the report said.

Saidur Rahman Khan, secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, told The Daily Star last night, “After the Milestone investigation commission report was submitted to the government, various directives were issued to the relevant ministries and departments to tackle such disasters.”

“The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief is working on formulating a standard SOD [Standing Orders on Disaster]

to address post-disaster preparedness for man-made disasters like chemical accidents, fires, and plane crashes, as well as natural disasters like earthquakes. I hope it will be finalised soon,” he added.