DGCA orders enhanced safety inspection on Air India's Boeing 787-8/9 fleet
New Delhi [India], June 13 (ANI): A day after the tragic Air India plane crash in Gujarat's Ahmedabad, India's civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on Friday ordered enhanced safety inspections on Air India's Boeing 787-8/9 fleet.
As a preventive measure, the DGCA has directed Air India to carry out additional maintenance actions on B787-8/9 aircraft equipped with Genx engines with immediate effect, in coordination with the concerned regional DGCA offices.
Air India has been asked to conduct a few one time check before departure of flight from India starting Sunday. The tests include inspection of Fuel Parameter Monitoring and associated system checks; inspection of cabin air compressor and associated systems; Electronic Engine Control-System Test; Engine Fuel Driven Actuator-Operational Test and oil system check; Serviceability check of Hydraulic system; and Review of Take-off parameters.
Besides, Air India has been asked to introduce 'Flight Control Inspection' in transit inspection till further notice.
Further, power assurance checks must be carried out within two weeks.
DGCA has also asked the Tata Group-owned airline to close maintenance actions as soon as possible based on the review of repetitive snags on B787-8/9 aircraft during the last 15 days.
The regulator told Air India that all the reports of these checks are to be submitted to the DGCA for review.
On Thursday, the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating as flight AI 171, was en route to London from Ahmedabad when it crashed shortly after takeoff. There were 242 people on board, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members.
Of the passengers, 241 died in the crash. The lone survivor, identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Friday confirmed the recovery of the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), commonly referred to as the black box, from the rooftop of a building at the site of the Air India Flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation clarified that, contrary to circulating reports, a video recorder that had been recovered at the crash site was not the DFDR.
The AAIB has launched a full-scale investigation into the crash, with over 40 staff from the Gujarat State Government joining efforts to support the Ministry of Civil Aviation teams on the ground.
The black box, a critical piece of evidence, will be analysed to determine the cause of the tragic crash that claimed the lives of 241 people onboard, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.
'Contrary to some reports, the video recorder being circulated is not the DFDR (Digital Flight Data Recorder). The black box was found on the rooftop. AAIB began work with full force immediately. Over 40 staff from the State Government joined efforts to augment MoCA teams on site. The DFDR has been recovered from the rooftop,' the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said in a statement.
The investigation is underway, and the recovered DFDR is expected to provide vital insights into the events leading up to the disaster.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and met the survivor and other injured people.
According to airline authorities, the passengers on board included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national. (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
39 minutes ago
- CTV News
Death toll in Indian plane crash climbs to 270 as search teams find more bodies
Ayub sheikh gestures angrily as he waits for the bodies of four relatives who died in the Air India plane crash, at a hospital in Ahmedabad, India, Saturday, June 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) AHMEDABAD, India — Search and recovery teams continued scouring the site of one of India's worst aviation disasters for a third day after the Air India flight fell from the sky and killed at least 270 people in Gujarat state, officials said Saturday. The London-bound Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel in a residential area of the northwestern city of Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff Thursday, killing 241 people on board and at least 29 on the ground. One passenger survived. Recovery teams working until late Friday found at least 25 more bodies in the debris, officials said. Dr. Dhaval Gameti at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad told The Associated Press the facility had received 270 bodies, adding that the lone surviving passenger was still under observation for some of his wounds. 'He is doing very well and will be ready to be discharged anytime soon,' Gameti said Saturday. Hundreds of relatives of the crash victims have provided DNA samples at the hospital. Most bodies were charred or mutilated, making them unrecognizable. Some relatives expressed frustration Saturday that the process was taking too long. Authorities say it normally takes up to 72 hours to complete DNA matching and they are expediting the process. 'Where are my children? Did you recover them?' asked Rafiq Abdullah, whose nephew, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren were on the flight. 'I will have to ask questions. Government is not answering these questions.' Another relative persistently asked hospital staff when his relative's body would be handed over to the family for last rites. 'Give us the body,' the relative insisted. Alongside the formal investigation, the Indian government says it has formed a high-level, multi-disciplinary committee to examine the causes leading to the crash. The committee will focus on formulating procedures to prevent and handle aircraft emergencies in the future and 'will not be a substitute to other enquiries being conducted by relevant organisations,' the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement. Investigators on Friday recovered the plane's digital flight data recorder, or the black box, which was recovered from a rooftop near the crash site and likely will lead to clues about the cause of the accident. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said it had started working with 'full force' to extract the data. The device is expected to reveal information about the engine and control settings, while the voice recorder will provide cockpit conversations, said Paul Fromme, a mechanical engineer with the U.K.-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti, a former crash investigator for both the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration, said investigators should be able to answer some important questions about what caused the crash as soon as next week as long as the flight data recorder is in good shape. Investigators likely are looking at whether wing flaps were set correctly, the engine lost power, alarms were going off inside the cockpit and if the plane's crew correctly logged information about the hot temperature outside and the weight of the fuel and passengers, Guzzetti said. Mistakes in the data could result in the wing flaps being set incorrectly, he said. Thursday's Air India crash involved a 12-year-old Boeing 787. 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. Hussain reported from Srinagar, India. Aijaz Hussain, Piyush Nagpal And Shonal Ganguly, The Associated Press
Canada Standard
2 hours ago
- Canada Standard
Immature asking resignation of leaders: Maharashtra Minister slams Opposition over Air India crash remarks
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 14 (ANI): Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan has reacted strongly to the tragic Air India plane crash near Ahmedabad, calling it a heartbreaking incident and slamming the opposition leaders for demanding 'resignations'. Speaking to ANI, Minister Mahajan said, 'This is a tragic incident... It is very immature of those (opposition) who are commenting on this, asking resignation of the leaders... They do not know anything apart from politics...' He added that this is not the time for politics but a moment to support rescue efforts and stand by the victims and their families. Meanwhile, Saligram J Murlidhar, former Deputy Director of the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), called the Ahmedabad crash one of the most unfortunate aviation disasters in recent Indian history. He said fuel contamination could be a major reason behind the incident. Speaking to ANI, Murlidhar said, 'The Ahmedabad plane crash was one of the most unfortunate incidents in Indian recent history. The aircraft is a Boeing Dreamliner. It is one of the most ultramodern aircraft with all the safety precautions, navigation, and it is almost foolproof.' He said the aircraft was carrying over 35 tons of fuel, and its failure to gain altitude suggested a major technical issue. Authorities are currently searching for the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) to understand what happened in the final moments of the flight. On Thursday, the Al-171 Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 aeroplane bound for London's Gatwick had crashed shortly after it took off from the Ahmedabad International Airport. The airlines said only one out of the 242 people on board the aircraft survived the crash. The aircraft was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flying hours. As per Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23. It made a Mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, the aircraft did not respond to the calls. Shortly after take-off, the aircraft crashed outside the airport boundary. Eyewitnesses reported thick black smoke rising from the crash site. According to Air India, the passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national. (ANI)
Canada Standard
2 hours ago
- Canada Standard
London: Indian diaspora pays tribute to deceased in Ahmedabad plane crash
London [UK], June 14 (ANI): Members of the Indian community in the UK paid homage to those who lost their lives in the tragic Air India plane crash, outside the Indian High Commission in London. Visuals from the spot showed members of the Indian diaspora offering floral tributes to the victims of the accident. Speaking to ANI, Kunal, a member of the Indian diaspora, said, 'I am from Gujarat, paid tribute to those who lost their lives in the London-bound Air India plane crash...I will pray to God to grant peace to all the departed souls and that this kind of incident never occurs again.' Meanwhile, in India, people across several states also came together to honour the victims. In Haridwar, Uttarakhand, hundreds gathered on the banks of the Ganga River to offer prayers. Locals and priests lit lamps and performed rituals as a mark of respect for those who died in the crash. In Tamil Nadu, members of the Rameswaram People's Protection Council paid heartfelt homage to the victims at Agni Theertham beach in Pamban. In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, the King George Medical University (KGMU) held a solemn condolence meeting in memory of those who perished in the crash. The accident occurred on Thursday when Air India flight AI-171, a Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 aircraft, crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The flight was headed to London's Gatwick Airport. Airline officials said that only one person out of the 242 people on board survived. According to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23. It made a Mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, the aircraft did not respond to the calls. Immediately after departing Runway 23, the aircraft crashed outside the airport perimeter, and heavy black smoke began emanating from the accident site. As per Air India, the aircraft was carrying 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national. (ANI)
