Air India crash report: Simon Calder explains how flight was ‘doomed' without sufficient power
The report by Indian aviation accident investigators has found fuel supply to the engines of the Air India plane was cut off just seconds after the flight took off.
The London Gatwick -bound flight came down in a residential area of Ahmedabad on 12 June, killing a total of 260 people.
The 15-page document published by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, which is part of the ongoing probe into what caused the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to come down, found that fuel control switches were moved to 'cut-off' position as the aircraft rose from take-off.
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Last conversation between Army helicopter pilot and instructor revealed before fatal American Airlines crash
New details have been disclosed about the final moments before an Army helicopter collided in mid-air with an American Airlines passenger jet in January over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Thousands of pages of records have been released publicly as part of the government's ongoing investigation into the crash, which resulted in 67 deaths. The information raises further questions about whether the crew of the Black Hawk helicopter was aware of its actual altitude and whether it was on a collision course with the Bombardier CRJ700 jet. Included in the newly released records are the final words spoken by two members of the Army helicopter crew, Capt. Rebecca Lobach and her instructor, Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Eaves. The National Transportation Safety Board started a three-day hearing on Wednesday (July 30) about the January 29 crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. There were emotional moments as family members of the victims broke down upon hearing some of the details. All 64 people on American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, were killed along with the three crew members on the military aircraft. Culpability for the accident remains unclear, with questions about whether the collision was due to a mistake by the helicopter crew or if other factors contributed to the incident. Air traffic controllers have also come under scrutiny for their decisions amid reports of staffing issues at Reagan National Airport that day. Helicopters have long flown near the airport, which is known for its notorious congestion. An 11-minute presentation and animation by the NTSB illustrated the circumstances that led to the crash and confirmed details already released by the authorities. The American Airlines pilots were instructed to switch runways approximately five minutes before landing, which they did. Reagan has three runways, the longest (the busiest in the nation) runs parallel to the river, with two shorter runways intersecting it at angles. The pilots were instructed to realign with the northern of the two shorter strips. Meanwhile, the helicopter was flying back to Fort Belvoir in Virginia as part of a night evaluation of Capt. Lobach under the instruction of Eaves. Staff Sgt. Ryan O'Hara was also on board. According to the NTSB presentation, the route down the river on which the helicopter was flying has a maximum altitude of 200 feet near the airport. However, the aircraft continued to fly above that level, reaching heights of more than 300 feet. Officials stated that the crew appeared to believe they were much lower than that, at times claiming they were about 100 feet below their actual altitude. One reason could be because of an error with their altimeter. About three minutes before the crash, Eaves told Lobach to 'come down for me' and fly at 200 feet because they were at 300 feet, the presentation revealed. Two minutes before the crash, an air traffic controller warned them about the approaching passenger plane. Another warning followed 90 seconds later. Both times, the helicopter crew confirmed they could see the plane. They requested 'visual separation,' allowing them to navigate around the incoming flight. The second time, the controller instructed the helicopter to pass behind the passenger plane, but the helicopter crew had keyed its microphone — pushed the button to talk — at the same time as the controller and never heard the instruction, according to the flight recorder. Twenty seconds before the crash, Eaves told Lobach: 'Alright, kinda come left for me ma'am, I think that's why he's asking.' She replied: 'Sure.' Eaves said: 'We're kinda out towards the middle.' Lobach responded: 'Okay fine.' The Black Hawk was at 270 feet above the river, and the American Airlines plane continued its landing approach, passing through 320 feet in altitude. They collided at 8:48 p.m. in a fiery explosion, shown in newly released security camera footage. Investigators stated in the hearing that the helicopter crew had no prior knowledge of the impending crash. In the cockpit of the American Airlines jet, the pilots used expletives and tried to pull the plane up in the seconds before. Part of the investigation focused on testing the helicopter altimeter, a report on which indicated potential discrepancies between the barometric altitude and the radio altitude. A test flight over the Potomac revealed that the barometric altitude was consistently about 100 feet lower than the radio and geometric altitudes over the water. Additionally, the barometric altimeter was obscured during the helicopter flight. To address this, Senator Ted Cruz has introduced legislation called 'The Rotor Act,' which requires all aircraft to transmit their location to other aircraft and air traffic controllers — a system known as Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B). This is currently only required on aircraft that fly above 18,000 feet, though some aircraft, including those operated by the military, are exempt from ADS-B for security reasons. The NTSB recommended that the FAA require ADS-B on all aircraft as long ago as 2008. 'The mistake was that this was not unforeseen. We had 84 near misses in the three years before in the D.C. airspace, and no one did anything,' Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters. 'Someone was asleep at the wheel. Someone should have seen that.' The three-day hearing will also include an examination of FAA oversight of Washington airspace.
Metro
8 hours ago
- Metro
Boeing 787 Dreamliner narrowly avoided crash after engine failure
A Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash nearly crashed just moments after taking off because of an engine failure. The United Airlines plane took off from Washington Dulles Airport bound for Munich on Friday but was forced to turn around just minutes into the flight. A 'Mayday' was declared by the crew at around 5,000 feet after a malfunction was reported in the aircraft's left engine. The crew on the plane were directed by air traffic control to a holding pattern northwest of Washington so that they could dump fuel. They asked the pilots: 'How long do you expect to hold, fuel, or just get set up there?' The pilot responded: 'We'll have to climb six [thousand feet] and adjust fuel.' The Dreamliner remained at around 6,000 feet for several minutes while it dumped the fuel. The pilot told air traffic control: 'We're dumping fuel at six thousand. We'll let you know when complete.' Luckily, the crew managed to land the plane safely back at Dulles Airport, and no injuries were reported, and all passengers disembarked safely. Because of engine failure, the plane had to be towed off the runway by the ground crew. Flight data shows that the aircraft's left engine failed while it was climbing after it departed. The aircraft is still grounded at the airport while engineers inspect the engine and the damage. Aviation authorities, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), are expected to investigate the incident. A United Airlines spokesperson told Metro: 'United flight 108 to Munich returned to Washington Dulles shortly after takeoff to address a mechanical issue. 'The plane landed safely, and all passengers deplaned normally at the gate. 'The flight was subsequently cancelled and we arranged alternate travel arrangements to take customers to their destination as soon as possible.' Boeing has been approached for comment. The safety model of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is currently under scrutiny because of the Air India crash last month. That incident involved both engines failing shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport. More Trending The tragic crash killed more than 260 people and the circumstances around it are still under investigation. Other problems with Boeing 787s have been reported this year, including an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 en route from Addis Ababa to Mumbai. It experienced a mid-air depressurisation event, prompting an emergency descent. Oxygen masks were deployed, and seven passengers needed medical attention when they landed in Mumbai. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Wizz Air launches 5 new Spanish routes from the UK – but not everyone is happy MORE: One of the world's highest volcanos erupts after 8.8-magnitude quake MORE: New York City skyscraper shooting victims identified: Everything we know
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
United plane forced to land minutes after takeoff over engine failure
A transatlantic United Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was forced to return to the airport just moments after taking off after suffering a mid-air engine failure . Flight UA108, carrying 219 passengers and 11 crew members, departed Washington Dulles Airport at 5:40 p.m. on Friday, July 25, bound for Munich in Germany . But as the jet climbed through 5,000 feet, the left engine failed, prompting the pilots to declare a 'MAYDAY' and alert air traffic controllers. What followed was nearly three hours of tense aerial maneuvering. The crew entered a holding pattern northwest of Dulles, circling at 6,000 feet while dumping fuel to reduce the aircraft's landing weight. Throughout the emergency, the pilots worked closely with air traffic control to maintain safe separation from other aircraft and prepare for the return. Once the fuel dump was complete, the plane was cleared to land using an Instrument Landing System approach to Runway 19 Center. In a statement to the Independent , United Airlines confirmed the emergency, saying the aircraft returned to Dulles 'to address a mechanical issue.' A spokesperson added: 'The flight was subsequently cancelled, and we arranged alternate travel arrangements to take customers to their destination as soon as possible.' The airline declined to provide further details about the engine malfunction or confirm whether an investigation is underway. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority also confirmed the emergency landing, noting that the aircraft was met by fire and rescue crews and towed to a gate for inspection.
