 "Ahmedabad plane crash: What brought down the London-bound Air India plane in 30 seconds?")
India witnessed one of its worst aviation disasters in decades on Thursday (June 12) when an Air India plane crashed into a residential area in Ahmedabad, moments after take-off. The AI-171 flight was headed to London’s Gatwick Airport.
However, soon after it was airborne, the plane came down into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad’s Meghani Nagar. According to Air India, there was only a lone survivor in the deadly crash that killed the remaining 241 people onboard.
While the investigation will find the exact reason behind the crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, we take a look at what experts have to say.
Visuals capture Air India flight crash
Purported videos of the Air India flight crashing into a fireball have emerged on social media.
Footage shows the AI-171 plane flying low over residential areas after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon.
The last signal from the plane was received when it gained an altitude of 625 feet, according to Flight Radar. It then rapidly descended at a vertical speed of 475 feet per minute.
As the plane dipped further, its tail sank more deeply under its nose, noted CNN.
The Air India flight disappeared behind trees and apartment buildings. The clip then showed a huge explosion in the sky.
Other videos showed a huge plume of black smoke emanating near the Ahmedabad airport.
More than 200 people, including those on the ground when the plane crashed into the BJ Medical College and Hospital hostel, have been killed. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was on the plane, is also among the dead.
“We are still verifying the number of dead, including those killed in the building where the plane crashed,” Vidhi Chaudhary, a top Gujarat police officer, told Reuters.
The lone survivor onboard the ill-fated plane has been identified as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national. He told Hindustan Times, “Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly.”
BBC Verify, which analysed the CCTV footage, reports that the Air India plane was airborne for only 30 seconds.
Black boxes are key to investigation
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will investigate the Air India plane crash. Experts from the United Kingdom and the United States will join Indian investigators in the coming days to detect what brought the London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner down.
This is the first time that a 787-8 Dreamliner has suffered a fatal crash since it began commercial operations in 2011.
Now, investigators will focus on the black boxes, or flight data recorders, and the debris of the aircraft to determine the cause of the tragedy. Black boxes contain vital information about the configuration of the aircraft, including the flaps and landing gear.
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What could have caused the Air India flight crash?
The exact cause of the Air India flight disaster will be known only after a detailed investigation.
However, pilots and other aviation experts have conjectured about the possible reasons behind the crash.
Speculations have arisen that the plane, which a video shows is struggling to stay afloat, could have faced a double engine failure. But this is a very rare occurrence.
A senior pilot told the BBC that a double engine failure may have resulted from clogged or contaminated fuel. Aircraft engines depend on a fuel metering system, which, if blocked, could lead to “fuel starvation and engine shutdown”.
Videos show the Air India plane trying hard to lift off the ground, possibly due to a lack of thrust or power. As per the Indian aviation safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the pilot of the Air India aircraft gave a Mayday call to the Ahmedabad air traffic controller (ATC) soon after the flight took off. But there was no response from the aircraft after that.
Another probable cause being discussed is a bird strike. This is when a bird collides with a plane, posing a serious threat to the aircraft.
Speaking to Sky News, Dr Jason Knight, senior lecturer in fluid mechanics at the University of Portsmouth, said a bird strike could be a possible reason.
“It is very unlikely that the plane was overweight or carrying too much fuel. The aircraft is designed to be able to fly on one engine, so the most likely cause of the crash is a double engine failure,” he said.
“Because the altitude was so low, the pilot would have had very little time to do an emergency landing. The most likely cause of a double engine failure is a bird strike.”
A bird hit is rarely deadly “unless it affects both engines”, a senior pilot was quoted as saying by BBC.
Some experts have pointed towards the wing flaps of the Air India aircraft. Three experts told the British broadcaster that the aircraft’s flaps were not extended during take-off.
Wing flaps help a plane create maximum lift at lower speeds. If they are not fully extended, the aircraft will face problems lifting off.
According to an India Today report, the standard operating procedure for the 787 plane is to set flaps at five (or higher) for take-off. They are then gradually retracted as the aircraft gains altitude.
Former British Airways pilot Alastair Rosenschein told Sky News about the Air India flight, “It’s clearly got its [landing] gear down and that is not correct… it should have been up. And from the video… it’s not immensely clear… but it does look like the aircraft didn’t have its take-off flap setting.”
He admitted he was speculating, but it “could explain why the aircraft came down” as the “aircraft would not have been able to maintain flight”.
“The video is not that clear, but it [the flaps setting] doesn’t look right to me,” he added.
The weather is also likely to be a part of the investigation. However, experts say that conditions in Ahmedabad were suitable for flight, thus it may not be a factor for the crash.
With inputs from agencies
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