What caused Air India crash? Expert dismisses pilot error theory, questions probe
According to the AAIB, the cockpit voice recorder captured a chilling exchange between the pilots in which one asked the other why the fuel supply had been cut off — a move that caused both engines to lose power seconds after takeoff. The report says the fuel control switches for both engines were shifted from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' within a single second, resulting in an immediate loss of altitude."It is absolutely bizarre to suggest that any sane pilot would deliberately operate the fuel cut-off switches right after takeoff. Why would a pilot, having just lifted off manually, turn the aircraft 170 degrees just to shut down the engines? It defies all logic," Kapoor countered.He also slammed the time taken to produce the preliminary findings, pointing out that the cockpit data was downloaded nearly three weeks ago. "It took 20 days for this report to come out, which is far too long. Given that they had all the data, this report should have contained much more detail than it does," he pointed out.The Air India Dreamliner had barely lifted off when it began losing power. The initial report suggested that once the engines stalled, an emergency Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployed automatically to supply minimal hydraulic power.The crew managed to relight both engines, but only one recovered. As the aircraft lost speed and altitude, it clipped trees near the airport boundary before crashing into a nearby hostel filled with students.- EndsMust Watch
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Mint
21 minutes ago
- Mint
Air India plane crash: Aviation minister defends AAIB amid Western media criticism – ‘No point in jumping to…'
Calling the Ahmedabad Air India plane crash reports published by the western media as their 'vested interests', the Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Sunday said that there was no point jumping to conclusions before the AAIB report comes out. 'AAIB has made an appeal to all, especially Western media houses, which may have a vested interest in the kind of articles they are trying to publish,' Naidu said. 'I believe in AAIB. They have done a wonderful job in decoding the black box in India itself. Making any comments until the final report comes out is not a good exercise. There is no point in jumping to conclusions at this point,' he added. The civil aviation minister was referring to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) preliminary report, released on July 12, on the crash of Air India's Boeing 787-8 plane that killed 260 people, including 241 people onboard. The aircraft, which was operating the flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed into a building soon after takeoff. Seconds before Air India flight 171 crashed while ascending from Ahmedabad, the fuel control switches of both its engines were cut off, according to the preliminary investigation report, suggesting a catastrophic pilot error in the cockpit of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. A 15-page preliminary investigation report into the disaster revealed that fuel-control switches of the two engines moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position, within the space of one second, leading to immediate loss of altitude. In the cockpit voice recording, one pilot is heard asking the other why he cut off the fuel. The other denied having done so. The report by the AIIB neither concluded any reason for the switches moving nor apportioned explicit blame for the crash. It also did not identify the pilots in the voice recording. But it also said no fault was found in the aircraft. The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) President Captain CS Randhawa on Saturday called out The Wall Street Journal and Reuters, accusing them of not basing their reports on factual content while highlights the AIIB's preliminary report on the AI-171 plane crash. Captain CS Randhawa's strong remark followed the FIP's initiation of legal action through a formal notice to The Wall Street Journal and Reuters. They have also sought an official apology. Strongly criticising the WSJ and Reuters, Randhawa blamed them for "misleading" the public, alleging that their reports are "not based on factual content." "I would totally blame the Wall Street Journal for misleading the public, they come out with their own conclusions. Are they the investigative body? They're talking all this crap around the world. They are not the investigative body, and the reports are not based on any factual content, which is mentioned in the preliminary report. So, how can they jump to conclusions and give press statements around the world?" he told ANI. Captain Randhawa said that FIP has issued a legal notice asking them to issue a statement in the press, giving an explanation of their reportage of the AAIB preliminary reports. "We strongly condemn it, and we've also issued legal notices to the Wall Street Journal and Reuters. We have clearly said that how can you jump to these conclusions which are not part of the preliminary report of the AAIB? How can you blame the pilots? So we have asked for an explanation and have asked that you give a statement to the press." he said.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
We have to stick to report, whatever it says will be final: Civil Aviation Minister on Air India plane crash probe
Amid rising speculation and international media scrutiny over the June 12 Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that claimed 260 lives, Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu has urged restraint and cautioned against drawing premature conclusions. He stressed that no comments should be made until the final investigation report is released, emphasising the need to respect the formal investigation process. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Operations Management CXO Healthcare Others Design Thinking Management Digital Marketing Project Management Data Analytics PGDM Data Science Leadership Product Management Data Science Public Policy Cybersecurity Degree others Artificial Intelligence MBA Technology MCA healthcare Finance Skills you'll gain: Quality Management & Lean Six Sigma Analytical Tools Supply Chain Management & Strategies Service Operations Management Duration: 10 Months IIM Lucknow IIML Executive Programme in Strategic Operations Management & Supply Chain Analytics Starts on Jan 27, 2024 Get Details "The data is here. The preliminary report has also been seen, but making any comments until the final report has come -- I don't think it is a good exercise on behalf of anyone. That's why we are also very cautious," he told ANI. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo His remarks come amid reports, particularly Western media outlets, suggesting that pilot error was a factor in the incident. Naidu emphasised the need for responsible reporting and respect for the formal process being led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). "You've seen that AAIB has made an appeal also to all the media houses, especially the western media houses, who might have certain vested interest in the kind of articles or the reports that they are trying to publish," the minister noted, asserting confidence in the AAIB's efforts. Live Events Highlighting a major development in the investigation, Naidu said the AAIB had successfully decoded the aircraft's black box within India -- a first for the country. "I believe in AAIB and in the work that they have done, a wonderful job in decoding the whole black box and getting the data in India itself. It was a huge success for us because, in previous incidents, whenever the black box was found to be damaged, it was always sent abroad to retrieve the data. But this is the first time that AAIB has successfully decoded everything," he said. When asked about reports suggesting an electrical malfunction in the aircraft's tail section, Naidu again urged patience. "We can't go on things based on what is being said. We have to stick to the report, and whatever the report says, that is going to be the final. So, we have to give that scope, the time and the kind of confidence to AAIB. That is very much needed," Naidu said. On the overall direction of the investigation, Naidu clarified that it is proceeding according to international protocols and established guidelines. "The probe is being conducted by the AAIB according to the international protocol and the rules and guidelines that we have set for any investigation. So, they are sticking to them. As you've seen, the preliminary report is out, and they still need time because there are many things that need to be corroborated. A lot of data that comes in from different angles needs to be seen. So, we need to give them that much time. There is no point in jumping to conclusions," he said. On addressing the issue of staffing at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Naidu stated that efforts are underway to fill the vacancies. "We are actively progressing on that. Over the last two years, there has also been a reorganisation of the employees. That is why we are seeing a lot of vacancies also being created. We are actively working on it. It's a continuous process," he added.
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
‘I Believe In AAIB': Aviation Minister Criticises Western Media For Coverage Of Air India Crash Investigation
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Sunday asserted that the government will wait for the final report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) before drawing any conclusions and urged western media, particularly those with vested interests, to refrain from speculative coverage. After launching IndiGo's flight operations from Hindon Airport the minister said, "I believe in AAIB... They have done a wonderful job in decoding the black box in India itself... Making any comments until the final report comes out is not a good exercise... There is no point in jumping to conclusions at this point." "AAIB has made an appeal to all, especially Western media houses, which may have a vested interest in the kind of articles they are trying to publish," he added.
