
IITian Gaurav Taneja, himself a pilot, on possible reasons of Ahmedabad Air India plane crash
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About the Ahmedabad plane crash
As the country reels from the devastating Air India crash in Ahmedabad, speculation and grief have swept across social media platforms. With more than 200 lives lost, including passengers and 12 crew members, the tragedy has left a deep scar, drawing reactions from political leaders, film stars, and aviation experts alike. Amid the calls for accountability and answers, one voice that's garnered wide attention is that of IITian and former commercial pilot Gaurav Taneja—best known online as Flying Beast Taneja, who holds a B.Tech in Civil Engineering from IIT Kharagpur and is a certified pilot with over a decade of flying experience, shared his initial analysis on X (formerly Twitter). He hinted at a catastrophic mechanical failure. According to his tweet, such a steep descent shortly after take-off from a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner could point to a dual engine failure , a scenario he described as 'extremely, extremely, extremely rare.''Nothing short of a complete power loss can force a modern aircraft into that kind of sink rate, right after take off,' wrote Taneja, adding prayers for all on board. His post quickly gained traction, with followers seeking deeper clarity. When asked about the likelihood of such an event, especially on a well-inspected international flight, Taneja explained that if an aircraft loses both engines just after take-off at an altitude of 600 feet with structures ahead, even the most experienced pilot is rendered powerless.Before transitioning into content creation, he served as First Officer in 2011 and was promoted to captain in 2014. Since stepping back from commercial flying in 2020, he has amassed a massive online following, offering insights on everything.According to ANI reports, a total of 241 people, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members, have died in the devastating Air India Flight 171 crash near Ahmedabad. The sole survivor, a British national of Indian origin, is Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating on the Ahmedabad to London Gatwick route, took off on June 12, 2025, but crashed moments later into a resident doctors' hostel near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Air India confirmed the fatalities in a statement posted on X. The aircraft was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with over 8,200 flying hours, and First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 hours. A Mayday call was made, but the aircraft lost contact soon after. The Tata Group has announced a compensation of Rs1 crore for the families of each deceased passenger.
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Indian Express
33 minutes ago
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Knowledge Nugget: What is Montreal Convention and why it matters for UPSC aspirants?
Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here's your knowledge nugget for today. (Relevance: UPSC has asked questions regarding important conventions, particularly related to the United Nations. In this regard, knowing about the Montreal Convention and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) becomes important for your UPSC exam.) In the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade and the first involving a Boeing 787, a London-bound Air India passenger aircraft with 242 people on board crashed in a residential area shortly after take-off from the Ahmedabad airport on 12th June. The 11-year-old Boeing 787 aircraft—bearing registration VT-ANB—was operating flight AI-171 between Ahmedabad and London Gatwick airport. This is the first wide-body crash for an Indian airline in four decades. It is also the first crash of a Boeing 787 globally. The Tata Group, which owns the airlines, announced Rs 1 crore compensation to each of the kin of the victims. Air India will have to pay a compensation of around Rs 1.5 crore, as per the Montreal Convention treaty. 1. The Montreal Convention 1999, or MC99, is formally known as the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air. It was finalised under the aegis of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). It provides a comprehensive and unified framework for the international carriage of passengers, baggage, and cargo by air, introducing several elements to balance the interests of travelers and the shippers of cargo and the aviation industry. 2. India signed the Montreal Convention on Civil Aviation in 2009 to become its 91st member. The provisions of this convention are implemented through the Carriage by Air (Amendment) Act 2009 in India, which was enacted to cover the international carriage of passengers, baggage, or cargo by airlines. 3. The convention imposes strict penalties on carriers for the death of passengers due to negligence and fixes a higher insurance premium for air disasters occurring on international flights. It sets liability limits for airlines, ensuring fair compensation for consumers in cases of injury, death, delay, baggage and cargo issues. It supersedes all previous international instruments on air carrier liability. 4. As per the Montreal Convention treaty, Air India will have to pay a compensation of around Rs 1.5 crore each to the kin of victims of the plane crash. Air India will get adequate compensation for the lost aircraft from insurance companies. 5. Compensation is calculated using Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), which stood at 128,821 SDRs (approximately USD 1.33 per SDR) as of October 2024. The actual payout will depend on the coverage purchased by Air India. 6. According to Article 23 of the Convention, 'The sums mentioned in terms of Special Drawing Right in this Convention shall be deemed to refer to the Special Drawing Right as defined by the International Monetary Fund. Conversion of the sums into national currencies shall, in case of judicial proceedings, be made according to the value of such currencies in terms of the Special Drawing Right at the date of the judgement.' 7. The primary insurers for the Air India policy are: Tata AIG General Insurance (lead insurer with over 40 per cent share), ICICI Lombard General Insurance, New India Assurance, and other PSU general insurers. The final bill will be taken by the reinsurers. Air India had paid a premium of $30 million (Rs 257 crore), the same as last year, for insuring over 300 aircraft. 1. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the temperature in the Air India plane, which crashed in Ahmedabad, was so high due to burning fuel that there was no chance to save the people. 2. This highlights the flammable nature of the aviation turbine fuel (ATF), which is used by airlines. Also, there have been concerns surrounding the carbon emissions from ATF. According to the International Energy Agency, in 2023, aviation accounted for 2.5% of global energy-related CO2 emissions, having grown faster between 2000 and 2019 than rail, road, or shipping. In regard to this, the Indian government has been working on the roadmap for introducing Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) with ATF for domestic flights. 3. The decision is in line with the mandatory phase of the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which will take effect from 2027. CORSIA, which applies to international flights, would require airlines globally to offset any growth in carbon dioxide emissions beyond the 2020 levels. 4. SAF is a biofuel that is produced from sustainable feedstocks and has chemistry similar to conventional ATF or jet fuel, which is derived from crude oil. This means that existing aircraft engines can easily use the SAF-ATF blend. Using jet fuel blended with SAF is one of the ways through which carriers can keep their emissions under permissible levels. Consider the following statements about the Montreal Convention on Civil Aviation: 1. India signed the Montreal Convention treaty in 2011 to become its 91st member, which was a collaborative effort between ICAO, WTO, and OECD. 2. The convention imposes strict penalties on carriers for the death of passengers due to negligence and fixes a higher insurance premium for air disasters occurring on international flights. Which of the following statements is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (Source: India becomes member of Montreal Convention, Air India plane crash: Victims' kin may get up to Rs 1.5 cr each as insurance compensation, Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for May 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Khushboo Kumari is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She has done her graduation and post-graduation in History from the University of Delhi. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. 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India.com
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