Ahmedabad plane crash: Too early to ascertain reasons, say aviation experts as probe begins
New Delhi: It is too early to determine the exact cause of the Ahmedabad plane crash, aviation experts said on Friday.
Ministry of Civil Aviation's former Joint Secretary, Dr Sanat Kaul, stressed that only a detailed investigation will uncover the real facts behind the tragedy.
Speaking to IANS, Dr Kaul described the incident as deeply tragic, pointing out that it has resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives.
"Speculations are being made -- some are saying a bird might have hit the aircraft, or that there was a flap malfunction -- but in my opinion, it appears to be an engine failure, as the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff," he said.
Responding to questions about Boeing, Kaul noted that the company has faced scrutiny in recent years.
"The US Congress has investigated Boeing following multiple crashes involving the 737 Max. However, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is generally considered a reliable aircraft and has not reported such issues until now. So, only a proper probe will bring out the truth," he added.
Echoing similar sentiments, aviation expert Sanjay Lazar called the incident "deeply disturbing and heartbreaking".
"I pay my respects to all those who lost their lives and express my heartfelt condolences to their families," he said.
Lazar pointed out that videos from the takeoff show that the pilot had issued a 'Mayday' call immediately after liftoff -- a clear sign of a serious emergency.
"This suggests a possible engine failure or a significant bird strike," he said, but added that all such assessments are preliminary only.
"The actual cause will only be known once the investigation is complete and the findings are made public," he said.
The Air India flight AI171, en route from Ahmedabad to London, crashed on Thursday afternoon. There were 242 people on board.
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Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
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NDTV
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Hindustan Times
39 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
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Ahmedabad was witness to the grief of hundreds of inconsolable relatives of the victims of Thursday's Air India crash that left around 260 people dead. While investigators rushed to piece together the sequence of events from the few pieces of evidence that led to the first-ever fatal crash of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, families of the 241 passengers of the London-bound flight started pouring into the city to get information about their loved ones. Among those on the flight were Ahmedabad-based Pinakin Shah and his wife Rupaben, who were en route to the UK to meet their son Rushab. 'Rushab had bought a new house (in Glasgow). The family was excited as Pinakin's sister Janaki, who lived in Kuwait, and her two grandchildren were also going to be in the UK. Since Rushab and Janaki resided in two different countries, the coming together of the entire family was a rare occurrence,' said Utsav Shah, one of their relatives. 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He was an enthusiastic boy. He has a younger sister,' his relative said. Colleagues of Dr Pratik Joshi in Karnataka expressed their sorrow after he and his family –– his wife Dr Koni Vyas and their three children –– were killed in the incident. At KLE Medical College in Belagavi, Dr Joshi's peers and staff held a moment of silence. 'Just days ago, he spoke about moving to London. He had big dreams for his children's education. It's hard to believe he is gone,' Dr Prashant Basutkar, a close friend from Yadgir, said. For crew member Shradha Dhavan and her friend, the noise of an airplane engine was the backdrop to an unbreakable friendship. Their bond, forged in the skies and strengthened by countless shared take-offs and landings, was characterised by a simple, unwavering ritual: a phone call after every landing or takeoff. 'For 21 years, ever since we joined Air India together, we never missed calling each other before or after every landing and takeoff. When Shradha was taking off from Ahmedabad on Thursday, I thought I would chat with her once the plane lands in London. But that call never happened,' her friend said. Meanwhile, the bodies of eight victims were handed over to their families after identification on Friday, police said. 'We have started the process of collecting DNA samples of relatives for profiling to identify bodies that are charred beyond recognition. Relatives of 215 victims have approached us to give their samples,' said inspector Chirag Gosai, who is handling the affairs at the post-mortem room of the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.
