An official investigation has concluded that pilot error was responsible for the tragic Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crash at Milestone School and College in Dhaka, which claimed 36 lives in July.

In the meantime, the probe also recommended relocating all initial Air Force training outside the capital to ensure public safety.

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam disclosed the findings during a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy on Tuesday afternoon. “The committee determined that the crash resulted from a pilot’s operational error that led to loss of control of the aircraft,” he said.

Headed by Lieutenant General SM Kamrul Hassan, Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division, the investigation team formally submitted its report to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna earlier in the day.

The July 21 crash killed 36 people—including 28 students, three teachers, three parents, one school staff member, and the pilot—when the training aircraft plummeted onto the school premises.

The probe committee, formed on July 29, interviewed around 150 people, including aviation experts, eyewitnesses, and victims’ families, and analyzed 168 pieces of evidence. It submitted 33 recommendations to the government.

One major finding revealed that the Milestone School building violated the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) under RAJUK, having only one staircase instead of the required three—an omission that investigators said likely worsened the death toll.

The report also underscored broader safety lapses in aviation infrastructure, citing a shortage of aircraft in the Air Force and inadequate firefighting equipment at airports. It called for foam tenders at all airport fire stations to manage aviation-related fires effectively.

Additionally, the committee urged the Civil Aviation Authority to strictly enforce height restrictions and bar the construction of high-risk facilities—such as schools, hospitals, warehouses, and small industries—within airport take-off and landing funnel zones to prevent future disasters.

The report further recommended proper maintenance of airstrips nationwide to ensure safe operations.

Following the report’s submission, Chief Adviser Yunus instructed authorities to expand the runways of Barishal and Bogura airports to improve civil and military aviation capacity. He also directed that RAJUK strictly enforce the BNBC across all its jurisdictions—including Savar, Kanchan, and Tarabo—where building permits have reportedly been issued without full compliance.

Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder, Senior Assistant Press Secretary Foyez Ahammad, and Assistant Press Secretary Shuchismita Tithi were present at the briefing.