What caused Air India crash? Experts focus on plane's flaps, landing gear
Video of the
Air India jet that crashed into a neighbourhood points to potential anomalies that aviation safety authorities will examine to understand what caused the accident that killed at least 241 people.
The Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner appeared to not achieve sufficient thrust as it lumbered down nearly the full length of a 3,352-metre (11,000-foot) runway, a distance that should have been more than enough to take off, said Bob Mann, head of aviation consultant RW Mann & Co.
That could stem from a misconfiguration of the plane before take-off or erroneous weight data entered into the plane's computer system that determines how much power is needed to get off the ground, he said. Mann cautioned that his views were unofficial and not corroborated by data or cockpit voice recorders, which have yet to be recovered from the site.
'If the weight is high compared to the actual number, you end up with a very aggressive take-off,' Mann said. 'If the weight is low compared to the actual, you end up with not enough commanded power.'
The 787's landing gear was never retracted, which normally occurs just after take-off, said Jeff Guzzetti, a former accident investigation chief for the US Federal Aviation Administration. He also said that he wanted to know more about whether the plane's flaps – movable panels along the wing that generate additional lift during take-off – were in the correct position, noting that it was possible those were raised mistakenly instead of the landing gear.
02:40
Air India plane bound for London crashes moments after take off in Ahmedabad
Air India plane bound for London crashes moments after take off in Ahmedabad
'You don't see any smoke or fire or engines burping or anything like that. You don't see any structural failure occurring,' Guzzetti said. 'It just appears the aeroplane was unable to climb once it got off the runway.'
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