‘Difficult day for all of us at Air India,' says CEO Campbell Wilson, Tata group announces Rs 1 crore for victims' families
Following the tragic crash of an Air India aircraft shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad, the Tata group airline's CEO Campbell Wilson expressed 'deep sorrow', saying that it was a difficult day for everyone at Air India. In his first statement since the Tuesday afternoon crash, Wilson said that the carrier's teams are working around the clock to support the passengers, crew, and their families as well as investigators, apart from working closely with authorities at the accident site to assist in emergency response efforts. He also said that while investigations will take time, the airline is doing everything it can to support those affected.
Meanwhile, Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran announced that the Tata group will provide Rs 1 crore to the families of those who perished in the crash, and will cover all medical expenses of the injured.
An Air India aircraft with 242 people—230 passengers and 12 crew—on board crashed into a residential area near the Ahmedabad airport Tuesday afternoon, resulting in numerous casualties. The exact number of dead and injured is not clear yet.
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. According to flight tracking data, the signal from the aircraft was lost at an altitude of just 625 feet, moments after take-off. It then descended with a vertical speed of 475 feet per minute and crashed. According to aviation safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the pilots gave a Mayday call to the Ahmedabad airport air traffic control (ATC) upon take-off, after which it crashed outside the airport perimeter.
'We are actively working with the authorities on all emergency response efforts. A special team of caregivers from Air India is on their way to Ahmedabad to provide additional support. Investigations will take time, but anything we can do now we are doing. We know that many people are concerned for the welfare of their loved ones. We have set up a special helpline that friends and family can reach us at the number is 1800-569-1444,' Wilson said in a video statement.
'We understand that people are eager for information. Please know that we will continue to share accurate and timely information as soon as we can, but anything we report must be accurate and not speculative. We owe that to everyone involved. For now, our teams are working around the clock to support passengers, crew and their families as well as investigators however we can,' the Air India CEO added.
Wilson said that while there are many questions around the crash, he was not in a position to answer all of them at thisi stage.
'…but I do want to share the information we have at this time, Air India flight AI-171 operated with a Boeing 787-8 aircraft traveling from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick has been involved in an accident after take-off…Of the passengers, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals. There are seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian National. The injured passengers have been taken by local authorities to the nearest hospitals,' Wilson said.
In a statement posted on the official handle of the Tata group on X, Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said that the conglomerate was 'deeply anguished by the tragic event' involving the ill-fated Air India flight.
'No words can adequately express the grief we feel at this moment. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones, and with those who have been injured. Tata Group will provide ₹1 crore to the families of each person who has lost their life in this tragedy. We will also cover the medical expenses of those injured and ensure that they receive all necessary care and support. Additionally, we will provide support in the building up of the B J Medical's hostel (damaged due to the plane crash),' Chandrasekaran said.
'We remain steadfast in standing with the affected families and communities during this unimaginable time,' the Tata Sons chairman added.
Sukalp Sharma is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and writes on a host of subjects and sectors, notably energy and aviation. He has over 13 years of experience in journalism with a body of work spanning areas like politics, development, equity markets, corporates, trade, and economic policy. He considers himself an above-average photographer, which goes well with his love for travel. ... Read More
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New Indian Express
34 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
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A pilot who had promised to come back to be with his ailing dad, who was pushing close to 90 and in need of care. A doctor couple who had dreamed of starting their life afresh in London with their three kids, two of them twins. A former Chief Minister of Gujarat who had boarded the plane to bring back his wife. The tragic crash of Air India Flight AI-171 on the afternoon of June 12, shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad en route to London, snuffed out valuable lives and has raised urgent questions about what went wrong. A day after the worst crash involving a single aircraft in India, various theories are circulating about the possible causes, from mechanical failure to environmental conditions and human error. Drawing on my experience as a retired Air Force Wing Commander and flight engineer with decades of operational experience, I would like to hazard a few guesses on the potential factors behind the crash—particularly aircraft weight, environmental parameters, engine performance, and maintenance practices. While doing so, kindly allow me to emphasise the critical importance of safety protocols and technical discipline in aviation. The weight factor One critical factor that might have to be assessed while investigating the crash of Flight AI-171 will be All Up Weight (AUW). AUW is the total weight of the aircraft, including fuel, cargo and passengers. This is calculated before every takeoff. AUW must remain within the safe limits when each aircraft takes off. AUW limits vary according to the altitude at which the runway is situated and the outside air temperature (OAT). Rain, to quote an example, can influence the permissible AUW. Then there are the locations that need to be considered as mentioned above. An aircraft that can take off with an AUW of 100 tons from the Trivandrum airport might only be able to carry 75 tons from Leh, even if the temperature at both places is the same. This is because of the variation in air density due to changes in altitude. Also, at high atmospheric temperatures, aircraft engines are pushed to their limits. This is because the engines always need high-density air for optimum performance and maximum power. But when the temperatures are high, air becomes less dense, putting limitations on engine performance. From the available videos of AI-171, it is very clear that the aircraft was able to pick up speed and lift off initially. The flaps and leading edge slats helped with the initial lift-off, further supported by the nose-up attitude. Thereafter, the aircraft could not sustain height. The temperature in Ahmedabad at 13:18 was 40 degrees Celsius. There is a high probability that during the second leg of the aircraft's take-off, the atmospherics messed up with AUW calculations, and the engines and the low-density air failed to support the overweight aircraft. Also, please remember, that handbags are rarely weighed. On an average, if each passenger carries 5 kg extra in their handbags, a total of 1 ton is added to the AUW of the aircraft, and those numbers are never going into the calculations made by the crew. There are hints that the Captain had some clue regarding the aircraft being overweight. Why do I say this? Well, AI-171 departed using the full length of Runway 23 at the Ahmedabad airport. It must be noted that Runway 23 is 11,499 feet long. The aircraft backtracked to the edge of the runway before beginning its take-off roll. A full-length runway is not usually needed for this class of aircraft. But Captain Sumit Sabharwal wanting to ensure that every inch of the runway was used is telling in retrospect. Drawing from my experience On various occasions, as military aviators, we experienced the problem of lack of thrust and lift on military aircraft, especially in high-altitude areas. On one occasion, we had to fly the aircraft a few meters above the Shyok River in the Ladakh sector for 15-20 minutes to burn the fuel to make the aircraft light. In a similar incident, we had to orbit in a valley for half an hour as the aircraft was not climbing over the Khardungla pass. But both of these were calculated risks taken due to commitment compulsions. We knew how the aircraft was going to behave. However, such a risk cannot be taken in the case of a passenger aircraft. The need to examine the state of the engines Media sources indicate that the last communication from the Captain was of there being no thrust and lift for the aircraft. This directly points to the performance of the engines. 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37 minutes ago
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