Air India jet crash fireball was so intense it may have MELTED black boxes as families face agonising wait for answers
THE Air India plane crash generated so much heat that it might have melted the aircraft's black boxes, investigators warned.
As grieving families agonisingly wait for answers, authorities rushing to work out the cause of the incident have cautioned the inquiry could take a long time.
8
8
8
The London-bound Air India aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed on a medical college hostel soon after taking off from the western city of Ahmedabad.
Only one passenger survived the crash, while 241 people on board and 29 on the ground were killed in one of India's worst aviation disaster in decades.
Amit Singh, a former pilot and an aviation expert, said the recovery of the flight data and cockpit voice recorders - or black boxes - are crucial to piece together the sequence of events.
Planes usually carry two black boxes, which are small but tough electronic flight data recorders.
One records flight data, such as altitude and speed, whilst the other monitors the cockpit sound.
But whilst both devices are designed to survive accidents, investigators have warned the heat generated from the crash could have melted the boxes.
The first was recovered from a rooftop near where the plane came down just 28 hours after the crash.
We already know that the pilot, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, made a desperate mayday call to air traffic control in the moments before the disaster.
He cried out: "'Thrust not achieved [...] falling [...] Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!"
The two pilots then wrestled for 17 seconds with the controls as the jet sank through the air before careening into the buildings below.
New video of doomed Air India flight 'shows Boeing 787 did lose power' just before crash
Sabharwal had 22 years of experience and had racked up 8,200 in the air.
The plane gained just a few hundred feet of altitude when the power apparently cut out, killing more Brits than any air disaster since 9/11.
Singh said the investigating authorities will scan CCTV footage of the nearby area and speak with witnesses to get to the root cause of the crash.
Investigators will also study the pilot training records, total load of the aircraft and any thrust issues related to the plane's engine.
The Indian government has also set up a separate committee to examine the causes leading to the crash and work out ways to prevent a disaster like this happening again.
But despite the large cohort of investigators working to find out what happened on that fateful flight, aircraft bosses warned it could take some time because of the "charred" plane.
8
8
The committee is expected to file a preliminary report within three months.
Authorities have also begun inspecting and carrying out additional maintenance and checks of Air India's entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners to prevent any future incident.
Air India has 33 Dreamliners in its fleet.
The plane that crashed was 12 years old. Boeing planes have been plagued by safety issues on other types of aircraft.
There are currently around 1,200 of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft worldwide and this was the first deadly crash in 16 years of operation, according to experts.
Since the devastating incident Air India has cancelled multiple scheduled flights.
Flight AI 159 was planned to depart Ahmedabad, India, at 1.10pm local time on Tuesday, and arrive at Gatwick airport at 6.25pm BST.
Air India's website shows the flight was initially delayed by one hour and 50 minutes but was later cancelled.
A flight from Gatwick to Amritsar, India, set to depart at 8pm BST was also axed, as well as Paris-bound flight AI143 from Delhi.
The cancelled flights were scheduled to be operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which is the same type of aircraft that crashed on June 12.
8
8
8
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Moment miracle Brit survivor of Air India jet heads BACK to burning wreck to rescue brother saying ‘I have to save him'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the astonishing moment miracle Brit Vishwash Ramesh rushed back to the burning Air India plane to save his brother. The 40-year-old sole survivor was captured staggering towards the blazing students' hostel - which claimed 38 lives - as black smoke billowed in the sky. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 Vishwash walking by the crash site as the wreckage burns behind him 9 Rescuers work to remove parts of the wreckage from the rubble 9 Brit survivor is heard saying he needs to go back and rescue his brother Credit: Twitter Footage emerged today shows emergency worker Satinder Singh Sandhu flailing his arms in the air in a desperate attempt to stop the Brit from walking back into the crash site. Dressed in a white t-shirt and trousers, Vishwas is seen eventually wandering over to the emergency worker as flames leapt behind him. Satinder revealed how he pleaded with the dad not to return to the inferno, warning he would died if he did. He recalled shouting as loud as he could to grab the dazed man's attention, then "begging him not to go back in there." Amid panicked crowds, the surviving Brit turned to Satinder and said: "My family member is in there, my brother and he's burning to death. I have to save him." According to the emergency worker, Vishwas was very disoriented, and limping but was still able to speak coherently. He told the Mail Online: "There was also blood on his face, but he was able to speak. He told the paramedics that he was flying to London when the plane fell and that he wanted to go back to save his family." Locals appear rushing around in panic and calling the emergency services when they spotted him. The businessman was taken to the 1,200-bed Civil Hospital less than a mile from Ahmedabad airport where the doomed Air India flight had taken off from before crashing just 33 seconds later. His dad Ramesh has been at his bedside but has been too upset to talk since the tragedy in which he lost his youngest son Ajay. Pilot of doomed India Air jet hailed a hero by locals who cheated death by a few feet Family friend Deepak Devjil said: 'He is still grappling with the tragedy.' The dad received a special Father's Day gift yesterday when his four-year-old son sent his best wishes. His youngster and wife have travelled to India following the crash and the family will soon be reunited, but Vishwash spoke to his son on the phone yesterday. The story of Vishwash's escape has astounded the world - and left experts speculating over how he cheated death. His brother, Ajaykumar Ramesh, 35, was sitting five seats away and tragically lost his life in the crash. Vishwash was sitting in seat 11A when the plane came down, which is right by the emergency exit. The Brit, whose family is from Leicester, told local media he was able to push open the plane's fuselage and get out before the plane blew up. 9 Buildings were left charred from the crash Credit: Dan Charity 9 Debris at the site of the plane crash Credit: EPA 9 A grieving resident upon hearing news of her brother's death Credit: Reuters But it is currently unclear whether the opening Vishwash "slipped out" of was the emergency door or a rupture in the aircraft's fuselage. Aerospace and aviation professor Graham Braithwaite speculated the lucky Brit may have actually been flung out of the wreckage. He said: "The aircraft was loaded with fuel and it crashed into a heavily populated area. "I can only imagine that he was thrown from the wreckage, and that somehow as it crashed, what it hit managed to absorb some of the impact." He added: "Looking at the scene, I would imagine that the disruption to the aircraft would have been huge. "If anybody could have got out, then they probably could have just gone out in a gap in the fuselage - you'd struggle to infer from this, therefore, that is the seat you must always sit in." Vishwash has relayed his memory of the moment the plane went down, and his account could hold the key to figuring out what went wrong. One detail in particular has peaked the interest of crash investigators. The Brit revealed that the cabin lights began flickering just before the jet sank through the air. He said: "When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air. "Suddenly, the lights started flickering - green and white. "The aircraft wasn't gaining altitude and was just gliding before it suddenly slammed into a building and exploded." Vishwash's flickering lights revelation came after a passenger who travelled on the plane the day before the crash claimed electrical parts such as the back-of-seat screens weren't working. Aviation experts have speculated that the reports of dodgy electrics could be a sign of a power failure, possibly explaining the crash. 9 A fire officer stands next to the crashed Air India Boeing Credit: Reuters 9 Vishwash, a British national, was the only survivor Credit: HT Photo 9 India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the site where the plane crashed Credit: Reuters
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Moment miracle Brit survivor of Air India jet heads BACK to burning wreck to rescue brother saying ‘I have to save him'
THIS is the astonishing moment miracle Brit Vishwash Ramesh rushed back to the burning Air India plane to save his brother. The 40-year-old sole survivor was captured staggering towards the blazing students' hostel - which claimed 38 lives - as black smoke billowed in the sky. 9 9 Footage emerged today shows emergency worker Satinder Singh Sandhu flailing his arms in the air in a desperate attempt to stop the Brit from walking back into the crash site. Dressed in a white t-shirt and trousers, Vishwas is seen eventually wandering over to the emergency worker as flames leapt behind him. Satinder revealed how he pleaded with the dad not to return to the inferno, warning he would died if he did. He recalled shouting as loud as he could to grab the dazed man's attention, then "begging him not to go back in there." Amid panicked crowds, the surviving Brit turned to Satinder and said: "My family member is in there, my brother and he's burning to death. I have to save him." According to the emergency worker, Vishwas was very disoriented, and limping but was still able to speak coherently. He told the Mail Online: "There was also blood on his face, but he was able to speak. He told the paramedics that he was flying to London when the plane fell and that he wanted to go back to save his family." Locals appear rushing around in panic and calling the emergency services when they spotted him. The businessman was taken to the 1,200-bed Civil Hospital less than a mile from Ahmedabad airport where the doomed Air India flight had taken off from before crashing just 33 seconds later. His dad Ramesh has been at his bedside but has been too upset to talk since the tragedy in which he lost his youngest son Ajay. Family friend Deepak Devjil said: 'He is still grappling with the tragedy.' The dad received a special Father's Day gift yesterday when his four-year-old son sent his best wishes. His youngster and wife have travelled to India following the crash and the family will soon be reunited, but Vishwash spoke to his son on the phone yesterday. The story of Vishwash's escape has astounded the world - and left experts speculating over how he cheated death. His brother, Ajaykumar Ramesh, 35, was sitting five seats away and tragically lost his life in the crash. Vishwash was sitting in seat 11A when the plane came down, which is right by the emergency exit. The Brit, whose family is from Leicester, told local media he was able to push open the plane's fuselage and get out before the plane blew up. 9 9 9 But it is currently unclear whether the opening Vishwash "slipped out" of was the emergency door or a rupture in the aircraft's fuselage. Aerospace and aviation professor Graham Braithwaite speculated the lucky Brit may have actually been flung out of the wreckage. He said: "The aircraft was loaded with fuel and it crashed into a heavily populated area. "I can only imagine that he was thrown from the wreckage, and that somehow as it crashed, what it hit managed to absorb some of the impact." He added: "Looking at the scene, I would imagine that the disruption to the aircraft would have been huge. "If anybody could have got out, then they probably could have just gone out in a gap in the fuselage - you'd struggle to infer from this, therefore, that is the seat you must always sit in." Vishwash has relayed his memory of the moment the plane went down, and his account could hold the key to figuring out what went wrong. One detail in particular has peaked the interest of crash investigators. The Brit revealed that the cabin lights began flickering just before the jet sank through the air. He said: "When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air. "Suddenly, the lights started flickering - green and white. "The aircraft wasn't gaining altitude and was just gliding before it suddenly slammed into a building and exploded." Vishwash's flickering lights revelation came after a passenger who travelled on the plane the day before the crash claimed electrical parts such as the back-of-seat screens weren't working. Aviation experts have speculated that the reports of dodgy electrics could be a sign of a power failure, possibly explaining the crash. 9 9 9
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Air India plane crash: Couple expecting baby among victims
A seven-month pregnant woman and her husband were among those to die in the Air India plane crash. Vaibhav Patel, 29, and his 27-year-old wife Jinal Goswami had travelled to Ahmedabad for their baby shower. The couple were living in Croydon, London, but had recently moved from Southampton in Hampshire where Mr Patel had worked. Their close friend Nirav Patel told the BBC the pair were very happy and excited for the birth of their first child. Their funeral was held in India on who lives in Southampton, said he had been friends with Vaibhav for over a decade and knew him from Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He said that Viabhav, who had been married to his wife for four years, was a "good person who always supported his family and friends"."When he worked in Southampton I saw him a lot. We worked together at Papa Johns in Portswood. "The couple were in Ahmedabad to celebrate their own baby shower. It was on the 5 June. She was seven months pregnant. They were very happy. "Vaibhav did not have a father, so he was the big son supporting the family back in India."Nirav said news of the came as a huge shock to him and all of the family in India. "He had rung me two days before the flight to tell me he was coming home," he said. "We were very good friends and had so much fun together... many trips around India, like to Goa or Rajasthan. This is a massive loss."The manager of Papa John's in Portswood, Southampton, where Vaibhav Patel had previously worked said he was a "true gentleman". Harshil Thaker said his ex-employee "worked very hard and was a family man".There were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian on the in India say 270 bodies have been recovered from the site of the crash. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
