What we know so far about Air India crash investigation
BBC News
ReutersA Air India passenger plane of London’s Gatwick airport collapsed shortly after killing 260 people in Western India, Ahmedabad, Western India.
The accident killed 242 people and 19 people on the ground on the flight, and there was only one survivor from the plane.
A preliminary report on the investigation published in India on July 12 found that fuel control switches suddenly switched to the “cut” position, hungry of fuel engines and triggered total loss of power.
The conditions about how or causing this is unclear. Here is what we know so far.
When and where did the plane collapse?
Air India, Air India, Air India, Air India, on Thursday, June 12, 13:39 Just before local time (08:09 GMT) left Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
18:25 BST is scheduled to land in London Gatwick.
The flight was in the air for less than 40 seconds. One of the pilots sent a call for a mayday just before the plane fell in a crowded neighborhood.
The plane fell into a building used as the accommodation of doctors in Byramjee Jeebhoy Medical College and civil hospital and caused an explosion. When a part of the plane fell from the roof of the dining room, a lunch break in the hostel.
The Air India flight climbed 625 feet in open weather before losing its data within 50 seconds, according to Flightradar24.
What did a preliminary report about the accident?
Fuel to the engines of the Air India aircraft in a deadly accident, moments after taking off. A Preliminary Report by the Indian Aircraft Investigation Bureau (AAIB) found it.
In the recycled cockpit sound recordings, the report said, “Why did you cut it?” – The other pilot said he didn’t “do this.”
The Gatwick’s aircraft was directed by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and co -pilot Clive Kundar. The report does not specify which sound is.
According to the data obtained from the flight recorder, both the fuel control switches of the aircraft moved from the run to the cutting position in one second shortly after the departure.
The switches are usually interrupted only to close the motors after landing or in emergencies such as motor fire – interrupted during departure.
In the AAIB report, cutting caused pushing loss of both engines.
Fuel switches then moved to normal positions on normal flight and automatically started the process of reshaping engines. In the report, an engine said it could gain push, but could not revers the slowdown of the plane.
One of the pilots sent a call for a mayday just before the aircraft did not fall into the accommodation of doctors.
ReutersThe report said that a “important bird activity” was not observed near the flight road of the aircraft.
The report also said: “There is no recommended process for B787-8 and/or GE GENX-1B engine operators and manufacturers at this stage of this research”.
In the report, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a special flight information bulletin in 2019 emphasizing that some Boeing 737 fuel control switches are separated.
The problem was not considered an insecure condition that requires a flight convenience directive – a legally applicable regulation.
The same key design is used in Air India’s collapsed VT-Anb aircraft. Air India did not audit because it was a bulletin consultancy.
The report has not reported any defect on the fuel control switch in VT-Anb since 2023.
An investigation by AAIB – with Boeing, General Electric, Air India, Indian organizers and participants from the United States and the UK and experts.
The final, more detailed report is expected in 12 months.
How did Air India and Boeing react to the report?
A Air India spokesman said the airline acknowledged that the preliminary report was received.
“We continue to cooperate with AAIB and other officials as the investigations progress. Considering the active nature of the investigation, we cannot comment on certain details and we cannot direct all these investigations to AAIB.”
The accident is a great mishap for Air India in the midst of a business return after its privatization. In 2022, Tata was purchased by the Indian Government.
The airline announced a deduction in international operations on wide -body aircraft, because it was interrupted after the accident.
Boeing said in a statement that it would postpone AAIB to AAIB to give information about the collapsed plane as a commitment to the protocol under the UN International Civil Aviation Organization. He also said he continued to support the investigation and his customer Air India.
The US National Transportation Security Board thanked the Indian officials for cooperation and said in a report that there is no proposed process targeting the operators of Boeing-787 Jets or GE engines.
Who was on board?
Air India confirmed that 242 passengers and crew members in Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, a total of 256 seats.
The plane had 169 Indians, 53 British, Seven Portuguese citizens, one Canadian and 12 crew.
Vishwashkumar Ramesh, who survived the accident, told India’s state publisher DD News, “I still can’t believe how I’m alive,” he said.
“At first I thought I would die. I managed to open my eyes, opened a seat belt and tried to get out of the plane.”
Mr. Ramesh said that the side of the plane did not hit the hostel and was closer to the ground floor. “My door broke down and I saw a small space,” he said. “I tried to get out of the plane.”
His brother Ajay was on the plane, but he didn’t get rid of the accident.
Downing Street said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in contact with Mr. Ramesh to “offer consular support”.
What do we know about the plane?
The relevant planes were Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
The model was released 14 years ago. Earlier this year, Boeing praised the fact that transporting a billion passengers reached a milestone.
Air India runs more than 190 aircraft fleets, including 58 Boeing aircraft, according to its website.
Flighttradar24 data collapsed 787 Dreamliner was 11 years old and showed that more than 700 flights until the disaster.
After the accident, he ordered security controls at the whole Boeing-787 fleet of India’s aviation airline.
The General Directorate of Civil Aviation announced that one-time departure parameters will be controlled for each separation of a Boeing 787-7 or 787-9 aircraft since June 15th. Power assurance controls were also applied.
