‘Thrust not achieved… falling… Mayday': Last words of pilot
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Ahmedabad: "Thrust not achieved… falling… Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!" Those were the last words from the cockpit of Air India Flight 171 moments before the Boeing Dreamliner slammed into BJ Medical College hostel in Ahmedabad Thursday afternoon.
Ahmedabad police confirmed the pilot's chilling distress call. It reached air traffic control (ATC) seconds before all communication ceased. Top officials said the jet had nearly exhausted the 3.5km runway at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport — longer than the usual 2.5 to 3km needed for a wide-bodied jet.
"The longer runway roll hints at a possibility of the aircraft not having adequate thrust for take-off," said a source close to the investigation.
"The facts can be ascertained only after the black box is decoded."
No earlier warnings were flagged. "There were no requests for runway changes, thrust adjustments or flap reconfigurations. Weather was stable, visibility was clear. Temperature was high, but within operational limits," said an airport source.
CCTV footage from the airport confirmed the extended take-off roll. No visual or radar anomalies were noted.
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No engine irregularities or pitch deviations were detected by ATC or ground personnel. All communication and safety protocols were followed, sources said.
There was no lapse in coordination between the airline and DGCA, according to sources familiar with operational compliance. "At SVPI airport, we conduct full-scale emergency drills annually, with modular simulations throughout the year," an airport official said.
Authorities now await data from the flight data and cockpit voice recorders to piece together what triggered the fatal failure of thrust that doomed the flight.
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