Aviation expert - Air India pilot's chillingly basic mistake led to horror crash
The co-pilot on the doomed Air India flight AI171 pulled the plane's wing flaps instead of retracting the landing gear, according to an aviation expert.
This simple - but devastating - mistake caused the plane to crash into the medical college in Ahmedabad, western India, commercial airline pilot and YouTuber Captain Steve has claimed, reports The Mirror.
All but one of the 242 people onboard the plane, which was destined for London Gatwick Airport, died.
Captain Steve, who analyses plane crashes and close calls, said: "Here's what I think happened, again folks this is just my opinion. I think the pilot flying said to the co-pilot said 'gear up' at the appropriate time. I think the co-pilot grabbed the flap handle and raised the flaps, instead of the gear. If that happened, this explains a lot of why this airplane stopped flying."
Raising the flaps would have caused the plane to lose airspeed and altitude quickly, something Steve stresses would have been very difficult to control. This, he feels, would have led to the horrific impact, marking the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade.
Steve believes his theory may be the case because the 787's composite wings would normally bend during take off as lift forces take it into the air. However, in footage taken moments before the impact, the Air India plane appears to show no such bending, supporting the speculation the flaps which help lift the plane off had accidentally been retracted.
Investigators will only know conclusively what happened once they have found and analysed both of the plane's black boxes. One of these was recovered on Friday morning among wreckage and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation will now study the recordings.
Other theories being considered, the Mirror highlighted, include potential engine failure, runway miscalculation and a bird strike. Steve, though, acknowledged that, while both pilots were experienced professionals, human error can happen.
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal led the flight and was assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar and, between them, the pair had more than 9,000 hours of experience. They were among the 241 people killed in the atrocity.
The sole survivor, 40-year-old Brit Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, said: "I still can't believe how I came out of it alive. For a moment, I felt like I was going to die too." His family members, from Leicester, have flown to India to be my his bedside, having expressed their shock to reporters on Thursday afternoon.
Vishwash somehow walked from the plane after the middle section of the aircraft - where he was seated in seat 11A - was spared from the worst of the impact. He continued: "When I opened my eyes and looked around, I realised I was alive. I still can't believe how I survived."
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The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Doomed Air India flight passenger's heartbreaking final words to her husband just minutes before take-off revealed
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Irish Examiner
4 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Girls orphaned when father died in Air India crash after scattering wife's ashes
Two children were orphaned when their father was killed in the Air India plane crash after travelling to scatter his wife's ashes in her homeland, according to a fundraiser for the family. Arjun Patoliya, 37, was killed 18 days after his wife Bharti had died from cancer, the GoFundMe page to support their daughters, aged four and eight, said. The Briton had travelled to Gujarat to fulfil his wife's 'final wish'. These two beautiful young girls have been left without parents — their world turned upside down in just over two weeks By Saturday afternoon more than £370,000 (€434,000) had been raised to help the girls. The fundraiser, organised by Mr Patoliya's colleague, said: 'Their mother, Bharti Patoliya, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. 'Fulfilling her final wish, her husband Arjun Patoliya travelled to India to scatter her ashes in her homeland in Gujarat.' It added: 'Arjun left to bid farewell to his wife, never returned to the children they both raised. 'Now, these two beautiful young girls have been left without parents — their world turned upside down in just over two weeks.' Mr Patoliya worked at furniture manufacturer Inspired Elements Ltd, based in Stanmore, north-west London. The company, which organised the GoFundMe appeal, posted a tribute on social media saying: 'We are deeply saddened to share the (loss) of a cherished member of our team in the recent Air India flight tragedy. 'Our hearts are heavy with grief as we come to terms with this profound loss. 'Arjun was not just a colleague but also a dear friend. His dedication, kindness, and spirit has left a lasting mark on us all'. Members of National Disaster Response Force arrive at the scene (Rafiq Maqbool/AP) Mr Patoliya had attended Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul International School in Surat, western India. A teacher at the secondary school said on social media: 'It is with profound sorrow that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of our dear former student. 'This news has deeply saddened us all. Arjun was a cherished member of our Gurukul family, and his untimely departure is a great loss.' More than 8,700 donations had been made to the GoFundMe by Saturday afternoon, including many of more than £1,000 (€1,200), and one of £5,000 (€5,900). Money has been pledged to go towards providing a 'stable, nurturing home' for the girls and ensuring they can access education. Organisers said they will also use the donations to 'establish trusted long-term wellbeing care' and 'build a future rooted in love, healing, and opportunity. Policemen secure the site of the airplane crash in Ahmedabad, India (Rafiq Maqbool/AP) 'All funds raised will go directly to a legal trust or the appointed guardians to ensure every penny is dedicated to the girls' needs.' The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after take off on Thursday in what is one of the deadliest plane accidents in terms of the number of British nationals killed. It struck a medical college hostel in a residential part of Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. At least 25 more bodies were found in the debris by recovery crews working at the site until Friday evening, officials said, and it is unclear whether they had been on the flight or on the ground. The Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad has received 270 bodies, Dr Dhaval Gameti told the Associated Press.
Dublin Live
6 hours ago
- Dublin Live
Air India pilot's chilling mistake led to horror crash, aviation expert claims
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The co-pilot on the doomed Air India flight AI171 pulled the plane's wing flaps instead of retracting the landing gear, according to an aviation expert. This simple - but devastating - mistake caused the plane to crash into the medical college in Ahmedabad, western India, commercial airline pilot and YouTuber Captain Steve has claimed, reports The Mirror. All but one of the 242 people onboard the plane, which was destined for London Gatwick Airport, died. Captain Steve, who analyses plane crashes and close calls, said: "Here's what I think happened, again folks this is just my opinion. I think the pilot flying said to the co-pilot said 'gear up' at the appropriate time. I think the co-pilot grabbed the flap handle and raised the flaps, instead of the gear. If that happened, this explains a lot of why this airplane stopped flying." Raising the flaps would have caused the plane to lose airspeed and altitude quickly, something Steve stresses would have been very difficult to control. This, he feels, would have led to the horrific impact, marking the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. (Image: NARENDRA MODI YOUTUBE CHANNEL/AF) Steve believes his theory may be the case because the 787's composite wings would normally bend during take off as lift forces take it into the air. However, in footage taken moments before the impact, the Air India plane appears to show no such bending, supporting the speculation the flaps which help lift the plane off had accidentally been retracted. Investigators will only know conclusively what happened once they have found and analysed both of the plane's black boxes. One of these was recovered on Friday morning among wreckage and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation will now study the recordings. Other theories being considered, the Mirror highlighted, include potential engine failure, runway miscalculation and a bird strike. Steve, though, acknowledged that, while both pilots were experienced professionals, human error can happen. (Image: Youtube/Captain Steeeve) Captain Sumeet Sabharwal led the flight and was assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar and, between them, the pair had more than 9,000 hours of experience. They were among the 241 people killed in the atrocity. The sole survivor, 40-year-old Brit Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, said: "I still can't believe how I came out of it alive. For a moment, I felt like I was going to die too." His family members, from Leicester, have flown to India to be my his bedside, having expressed their shock to reporters on Thursday afternoon. Vishwash somehow walked from the plane after the middle section of the aircraft - where he was seated in seat 11A - was spared from the worst of the impact. He continued: "When I opened my eyes and looked around, I realised I was alive. I still can't believe how I survived." Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage .
