Bird strike may have caused Air India crash
Saurabh Bhatnagar told Indian news TV channel New Delhi Television LTD the incident appears to involve 'multiple bird hits'.
He said: 'It looks, prima facie, like a case of multiple bird hits wherein both the engines have lost power.
'The take-off was perfect and just, I believe, short of taking the gear up, the aircraft started descending, which can happen only in case the engine loses power or the aircraft stops developing lift.
'Obviously, the investigation will reveal the exact reason.'
He added that footage show the plane 'came down in a controlled fashion'.
Bird strikes are defined as a collision between a bird and an aircraft which is in flight, taking-off or landing.
A large flock of birds entering an aircraft engine can cause power loss.
Efforts to reduce the number of bird strikes include using lights on planes to make them more visible to birds, and making loud noises at airports to scare them away.
Latest Civil Aviation Authority figures show there were 1,432 incidents reported in the UK in 2022.
Professor John McDermid, of the University of York, said it was too early to know 'in any detail' what may have caused the Air India incident, but the timing suggests the issue happened 'very suddenly'.
He said: 'Take-off and landing are the most dangerous phases of flight.
'However, that said, it's surprising that the accident occurred before the aircraft had even got to 200 metres altitude.
'Pilots can abort take-off until quite late in the take-off roll, so it seems like the problem occurred very suddenly in the final part of the take-off roll, or shortly after take-off, and was sufficiently serious to be unmanageable.
'Given the levels of redundancy in systems, the fact that aircraft are designed to climb out on only one engine, etc. on initial sight this seems a very surprising accident.'
Professor McDermid added it is 'very unlikely' the plane was overweight or carrying too much fuel as 'there are careful checks on this'.
Graham Braithwaite, director of aerospace and aviation at Cranfield University, Bedfordshire, said take-off is a 'critical stage of flight' as the plane is accelerating and 'any problem-solving requires a rapid response'.
Paul Williams, professor of atmospheric science at the University of Reading, said the weather conditions at the airport when the crash happened 'appear to have been very good'.
He added: 'It was a dry and sunny day in Ahmedabad, with temperatures near 40C.
'There was good visibility and light winds from the west.
'There was no bad weather in the vicinity.
'There is no indication at this stage that turbulence or other weather conditions were a factor in the crash.'
The accident will be investigated by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.
The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch is also likely to be involved because of the number of British nationals onboard.
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Wales Online
17 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Passenger on doomed Air India flight's earlier journey said nothing was working
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Content cannot be displayed without consent According to Vatsa's account, the air conditioning system was not working, forcing numerous passengers to improvise by using in-flight magazines as makeshift fans, reports the Mirror. The passenger then turned the camera on himself, visibly sweating, before highlighting another issue: "As usual, your TV screens are also not working." Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here Article continues below He continued his critique, pointing out that "nothing is working, not even the light is working" and posed a question to Air India: "Is this what you are providing?". Flight Radar data revealed that the flight touched down in Ahmedabad at 11:16am local time. The same Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner subsequently took off from Ahmedabad at 1:38 pm local time (9:08 am BST), bound for London Gatwick Airport. Tragically, mere minutes after lifting off, the plane met with disaster, plummeting into a residential area. The aircraft was carrying 242 individuals which included 53 British citizens, 169 from India, along with seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian. After initial reports indicated a total loss of life, when to the city's head of police spoke to the news agency AP, there was a glimmer of hope when Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik disclosed to ANI that one person miraculously survived. The distressing incident was captured on video, revealing the moment the plane struck a facility used by medical students for dining before being engulfed in flame and thick black smoke. Responding to the calamity, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his profound shock and sorrow: "The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. "It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected." Similarly, Britain's Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, released a heartfelt statement, declaring: "The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating." He continued: "I am being kept updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time." Mathrubhumi News, an Indian media outlet, reported that Air India's flight AI-171 was grounded in December 2024 due to a "major technical snag". The incident led to scrutiny over "maintenance lapses and flight safety procedures" as per the outlet, yet the aircraft was subsequently given the all-clear to resume flying, according to the Express. In the aftermath of the crash, Air India announced that those injured were being transported to hospital and established a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 for further information. An additional contact number +91 8062779200 was also made available for international callers. The carrier stated it was providing "its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident". Several hours following the accident, Campbell Wilson, CEO of Air India, issued a video statement on social media platforms. He conveyed the airline's "deep sorrow" regarding the tragic event and emphasised that their focus would be "entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, their families, and loved ones". Wilson acknowledged the presence of "many questions" surrounding the incident but stated he would "not be able to answer all of them". He added: "We are actively working with the authorities on all emergency response efforts." In a communication to the Mirror, Air India stated: "We would like to inform you that Air India is closely coordinating with all relevant authorities, and any verified updates or official statements will be shared through our official communication channels." Article continues below It further stated: "We remain committed to transparency and will continue to share updates as appropriate."
Daily Mirror
36 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Plane crash survivor's terrifying theory on how he managed to escape
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While many questions remain in the aftermath of the catastrophe, there is one that continues to perplex above all others. How did Vishwash survive? Family's confusion Nayan Kumar Ramesh, the brother of the surviving passenger, told BBC News that Vishwash "has no idea how he survived", or how he managed to exit the plane. He shared: "We were all in shock as soon as we heard what happened, just utter shock. Speechless. He himself has no idea how he survived, how he got out the plane." Telling his story to the Hindustani Times, Vishwash shared the lights on the plane "started flickering". He said: "When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air. Suddenly, the lights started flickering – green and white – then the plane rammed into some establishment that was there." 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Relatively minor injuries Extraordinary footage shows Vishwash walking away from the site of the crash, appearing relatively unscathed. And indeed, it would appear that his injuries are fairly minor, all things considered. Vishwash reportedly suffered chest, eyes and feet injuries on impact, but appeared surprisingly alert as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited him in his hospital bed. Dr. Rajnish Patel, professor and head of surgery at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, revealed to CNN that Vishwash's condition was 'not very critical', adding that he could well be discharged within the next couple of days. The medic clarified: 'He has some blood in the images, but he's not very badly injured. He is very comfortable and under strict observation, no issues." The Mirror has today heard from body language expert Judi James, who offered her thoughts on the interaction between Vishwash and Mr Modi. Judi said: "The body language of this visit perhaps illustrates the incredible narrative of this man's survival. "The initial intention seems to be for Modi to stand near the end of the bed and visit from a polite distance but the survivor appears keen to talk, suggesting that the way Modi moves closer to the head of the bed, moving the drip further down to get closer, is a response aimed at listening and maybe responding intently." She added: "As the man in the bed speaks, even using hand gesticulations to illustrate his story. Modi leans over the bed, placing his hands out in a protective-looking splay to get closer and to listen more intently with a concerned frown. "There is a comforting and reassuring pat on the arm at one point, but this looks like one man going into intense listening mode as the other, amazingly, looks keen and well enough to relate his own unique story." Desperate search for brother Vishwash had been travelling with his 45-year-old brother Ajay Kumar Ramesh when the plane went down. It's understood that Ajay had been seated in a different row and, at the time of Vishwash's media interview, he was unaccounted for. He pleaded, "We visited Diu. He was travelling with me and I can't find him anymore. Please help me find him." In his BBC interview, Vishwash's other brother, Nayan, said: "When he called us he was just more worried about my other brother, like 'Find Ajay, find Ajay.' That's all he cares about at the moment." Sadly, Air India has since stated that 241 of the 242 people onboard the plane died in the crash, with Vishwash being the sole survivor. Indian officials have also confirmed that an additional eight people who weren't aboard the plane have died on the ground. Ahmedabad authorities informed the BBC that four of the deceased had been medical students living in one of the buildings into which the Dreamliner crashed. Another four were relatives of other students who were living in the hostel at that time. Puzzling seat Naturally, there has been plenty of fascination with the incredibly lucky seat 11A, and whether this particular positioning somehow protected Vishwash from the brunt of the impact. It turns out, however, that seat 11A, located in the emergency exit row, just in front of the left wing, wasn't an especially safe seat at all, with experts expressing utter bewilderment. CNN safety analyst and former US Federal Aviation Administration safety inspector David Soucie had advised that Vishwash's survival is "incredibly surprising". He told CNN how the seat was positioned, "right where the spar of the wing would go under, and it would be a solid place for the aircraft to hit the ground, but as far as survivability above it, that is incredibly surprising." Data from the National Transportation Safety Board in the US, which came from analysis of 20 plane crashes, found that passengers sitting at the back of the plane had the best chance of survival - a 69% chance of staying alive compared to 59% for those at the front. Another study, by Time, analysed crash data and also found that the back of the plane seemed to be the safest place to sit. It also found that passengers sitting in the middle seat tended to have a higher chance of survival, Forbes reported. Seat maps of the aircraft show that Ramesh's seat, 11A, was positioned close to the front of the plane. He was also next to a window - all of which makes his survival statistically unlikely. However, he was placed near an emergency exit, according to the plane diagram, which could have played a key role in his survival. Cary Grant, an assistant professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's College of Aviation, told Travel + Leisure that "if there was a seat that was safer, being close to an emergency exit increases the chance of getting out quicker".
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Two Air India Flight 171 cabin crew members who died on doomed flight pictured
Two female cabin crew members who died in the horror Air India Flight 171 crash have been pictured for the first time - all 12 crew members on the doomed plane were tragically killed Two cabin crew members who died on the doomed Air India Flight 171 have bene pictured for the first time. There were 12 crew members among those who perished when the aircraft crashed into a fireball just minutes after it took off from Ahmedabad, in the north west of India, on Thursday. The families of Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma and Singson Lamnunthem, from Manipur in the east of the country, have been left devastated by the horror news. 241 of the 242 passengers onboard tragically died when the aircraft, bound for Gatwick Airport, crashed into the densely populated Meghani area at around 1.40om local time yesterday. One of Singson's family members heartbreakingly shared that their last conversation was brief and the cabin crew member said she was flying to London. Originally from Old Lambulane in Imphal West, Singson had moved to the Kangpokpi district after she was displaced by a continuing conflict in her home town which has raged since May 2023. Having joined Air India's cabin crew in 2023, her family had also been forced to relocate due to the violence. Her family said they are anxiously waiting official confirmation about her fate but Indian authorities have already confirmed a British man was the sole survivor of the terrifying crash. Local media revealed Kongbrailatpam family, in the Thoubal district of Manipur, had been left too grief-stricken to speak following the tragedy. Local politician Surjakumar Okram visited the family home and said: "We are still trying to trace Nganthoi." The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed just moments after it took off and terrifying footage caught the moment it fireballed. Shortly after take-off, the crew issued a "mayday" distress call, indicating an emergency situation. The captain, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who had 8,200 hours of flying experience, desperately said: "Mayday…no thrust, losing power, unable to lift." However, no further communication was received from the aircraft after the initial alert. Flight tracking service Flightradar24 reported that it lost the signal from the aircraft just seconds after it became airborne. The only survivor for the shocking air disaster was British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. He described how the lights one the plane "started flickering" before it hit the ground. The 40-year-old, who said he sat in seat 11a, told the Hindustan Times: "When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air. Suddenly, the lights started flickering – green and white – then the plane rammed into some establishment that was there." He added: "I don't know how I survived. I saw people dying in front of my eyes – the air hostesses, and two people I saw near me … I walked out of the rubble."
