Authorities investigating the deadly Air India crash that killed at least 270 people last week are examining whether the doomed flight was relying on an emergency power generator.
Preliminary findings have raised concerns about whether the plane’s engines were functioning properly at the time of takeoff. The Air India aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for Gatwick, crashed into a medical college hostel shortly after taking off from the west Indian city of Ahmedabad last Thursday, June 12.
The Boeing was only about 400 feet above the ground when both pilots reportedly lost power in the engines. Experts from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, with assistance from the UK, the US, and Boeing officials, are investigating the incident.
One key focus of the inquiry is whether the plane experienced a loss or reduction of thrust. Emergency systems in airplanes, known as ram air turbines, are small propellers that deploy from the bottom of the plane’s fuselage to function as a backup generator. These systems typically activate automatically during flight if both engines fail or if hydraulic system pressures drop.
Sources close to the investigation indicate that preliminary findings suggest the plane's flaps and other flight control surfaces were configured for takeoff, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. Investigators are also examining the plane's black boxes and assessing whether the aircraft was overloaded at the time of the crash. Amit Singh, a former pilot and aviation expert, noted that retrieving the flight data and cockpit voice recorders is essential for reconstructing the sequence of events.
The cockpit voice recorder captures pilots' conversations, emergency alarms, and any distress signals made prior to a crash, while the digital flight data recorder retains information about engine and control settings. Both devices are designed to withstand a crash.
"The data will reveal everything," Singh said, adding that technical details could be verified by the cockpit voice recorder, which could help investigators understand any communication between air traffic control and the pilots.
India's aviation regulatory body has reported that pilots Sumeet Sabharwal and Clive Kunder issued a mayday call before the crash.
Singh mentioned that investigators will review CCTV footage from the surrounding area and interview witnesses to determine the root cause of the crash.
Additionally, they will analyze pilot training records, the total load of the aircraft, potential thrust issues with the engines, and the aircraft’s history regarding maintenance and previous problems.
The Indian government has established a separate, high-level committee to investigate the causes of the crash and to develop procedures for preventing and managing aircraft emergencies in the future. This committee is expected to submit a preliminary report within three months.
