‘Only 2% airline accidents happen due to technical error': Gaurav Taneja, aka Flying Beast, narrates what could've been ‘worst aviation disaster in India'

Indian Express

a day ago

Gaurav Taneja, the YouTuber best known as Flying Beast on social media, said in a post on June 12 that the Air India crash in Ahmedabad was probably caused by a 'rare' instance of dual engine failure. Some years ago, he appeared on the Dostcast podcast where he narrated an incredible story about a near-disaster that was caused by an error made by the First Officer. 'It could've been the worst disaster in India,' he said. Citing fatigue and the environment as reasons behind the incident, Gaurav said that the majority of aviation accidents are caused by human error. 'In aviation, 98% accidents happen because of human error. Only 2% accidents happen because of technical errors,' he said, highlighting the importance of collaboration in the cockpit.
'If the thinking of the two pilots in the cockpit isn't aligned, it can be very unsafe… Ego clashes typically happen when two senior captains are flying. A junior pilot will tend to listen to his senior… Pilots are taught how to conduct themselves in a cockpit and leave aside their personal issues…' he said. Gaurav mentioned the term 'cockpit gradient', which refers to the hesitation that a First Officer might have in pointing out a Captain's mistake because of cultural reasons; it's most prevalent in South Korea. 'To correct a senior is considered disrespectful in that culture, it's not as bad in India, and it's negligible in the West. A hierarchy should be maintained, both pilots shouldn't have equal power, but the difference shouldn't be huge. You should have that respect, but you should also be assertive when the situation arises,' he said.
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Launching into his story, he said, 'There was a Mumbai-Delhi redeye flight. The pilots must've started their day at 12 am, landed in Delhi at around 8 am, and they were ready to fly back at 9 am. Obviously, it's a tiring schedule. As soon as they took off, they suffered a bird hit, and engine number one caught fire. In such a situation, every alarm in the cockpit goes off. It's like Holi and Diwali in there, every alarm is going off simultaneously. The lights are all red. This is what happens in an emergency situation. It's called a continuous repetitive chime (CRC). Anything that is serious but not that urgent, it's orange alert. The chime rings once.'
He continued, 'In this case, all the alarms were going off. Now, there is a procedure to shut down the damaged engine, because if you don't, there can be further damage. Planes can fly on one engine. All the modern planes can safely fly on one engine, even at maximum load. In the cockpit, every decision is made on the basis of a confirmation from the Captain. The co-pilot would have to ask the Captain, 'Engine number one, shut down?' and he would have to confirm. Only then can he shut the engine down.'
He added, 'In this case, the co-pilot panicked. He put his hand on the toggle for engine number two, asked for confirmation. The Captain had too much on his plate; communicating with the ATC, dealing with all the alarms… The First Officer cut engine two. Engine one was already out. So, for 10 seconds until the Captain recognised what had happened, the aircraft was flying with both engines off. The Captain had the presence of mind to spot what had happened, and he switched the engine on again immediately. This report has been published on the DGCA website, you can read it. Passengers obviously had no idea. It could've been the worst disaster in India.'
In addition to his vlogs, Gaurav also posts content about the aviation industry, and analyses accidents. He worked as a commercial pilot for a decade, and served as a Captain at IndiGo and Air Asia. Gaurav was involved in a high-profile whistleblower scandal in 2020, when he made allegations about potential safety lapses at Air Asia. He was subsequently terminated from his job, and has since focused on his career as an influencer. After the June 12 tragedy, Gaurav took to X and wrote, 'Looks like a Dual Engine Failure after Take Off. Nothing short of a complete power loss can force a modern aircraft into that kind of sink rate, right after take off. Praying for everyone on board.'