EVERYONE must have heaved a sigh of relief at the miraculous escape of the passengers of the ill-fated F-28 from what was a close shave with death. It was an act of providence that a fatal disaster could be averted.

It may not be appropriate on our part to comment on the accident itself since we do not as yet have any definitive information on it. There are, however, questions that come instantly to the mind.

First, if the weather was inclement why was the aircraft allowed to take off from Dhaka in the first place? It could have been possible that the weather over Sylhet deteriorated after the aircraft left Dhaka, in which case why did the Sylhet control tower permit landing of the aircraft at Osmani? Second, Sylhet Osmani Airport being an international airport is supposed to be equipped with the necessary gadgets and instruments to aid aircraft landing in heavy rain.

Last but not least, from the press reports it appears that the aircraft overshot the touch down point as a result of which it failed to stop in time and consequently plunged into the canal at the end of the runway.

There are some serious lessons to be learnt, the most important being the age of the aircrafts used on domestic route, which must be constantly under scrutiny as, naturally, the older versions of aircrafts are less likely to have the latest equipment. The second, and equally important, is ensuring the competence and proficiency of our pilots by means of a good training package providing them with the skill to handle emergencies. Latest training aids, like simulation cockpits, must be used to provide our pilots with the skill and confidence to handle difficult situations. Modern technology sees to it that under adverse conditions the human factor plays as little a role as possible.

There is an urgent need, we feel, for the government to make a public statement of the safety procedures that are currently in place to make passenger flying safe in Bangladesh. We also suggest that a task force be formed immediately to assess all aspects of flying safety and recommend measures that would enhance passenger confidence in the national carrier.