Latest news with #AIIB
Mint
4 days ago
- General
- Mint
Uttarkashi helicopter crash: Chopper hit overhead cable during emergency landing, says AIIB preliminary report
The helicopter that crashed in Uttarkashi on May 8 struck an overhead fibre cable with its main rotor while attempting an emergency landing, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AIIB) has said in its preliminary report. The BELL 407 helicopter began to descend from its assigned altitude around 20 minutes after take off. The pilot tried to make an emergency landing on the Uttarkashi-Gangotri National Highway. However, the aircraft hit the cable running alongside the road, leading to a fatal crash, the AIIB report said. According to a senior Ministry of Civil Aviation official, the helicopter, registered as VT-OXF and operated by Aero Trans Service Private Limited, was chartered from Ahmedabad and carried six passengers and one captain. Visuals from the crash site showed the mangled interior of the chopper. On June 15, another helicopter carrying seven passengers had crashed in Uttarakhand's Gaurikund. The incident took place at 5:20 am when the chopper, with six passengers – five adults and one child – and the pilot, which was going from Shri Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi, crashed near Gaurikund. According to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), the passengers in the helicopter hail from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. (This is a developing story. Please check back for updates)
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Get Your Story Out
Times of India's Edit Page team comprises senior journalists with wide-ranging interests who debate and opine on the news and issues of the day. Authorities must learn the art of good press briefing AAIB was upset enough over a report published on Thursday to issue a statement against alleged 'misreporting' of its preliminary probe report into last month's crash of a Dreamliner in Ahmedabad. AAIB said its preliminary report had addressed only the WHAT of the crash, and incorrect conclusions were being reported. Soon after AAIB's briefing, Indian pilots' association criticised AIIB report's 'tone'. More questions were raised than answered. The nub of communication is that audiences interpret the facts presented in the manner intended by the communicator. And it is that standard and quality of communication that Indian authorities often fail to deliver. What investigators believed they put out was not what the world heard. This isn't the first time this has happened. In the recent conflict between India and Pakistan, the single powerful communication delivered on point was 'no escalation'. There were no mistaken takes on New Delhi's restraint. But authorities failed to address questions on fighter jets, allowing a flood of speculation. In a connected world, when high value news hits headlines, you can't control the narrative. Authorities couldn't avoid the question when some of India's military seniors spoke of the issue weeks later. But when the issue at stake is civil aviation security, every word, every phrase, will be weighed and measured even more. Had communication on AAIB's prelim report been weighty and substantial, instead of providing 'trailers' and having media turn to 'sources', it would've killed the opportunity for possibly tendentious briefings. There's no point crying misreporting when the fault lies with the initial inadequate press briefing. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
Time of India
6 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Air India 171 crash: US report alleges pilot cut fuel to both engines mid-air — was it human error or system failure? Details here
A recent US media report has revealed new details in the Air India crash in Ahmedabad last month, citing a cockpit recording that indicates the plane's captain may have manually cut fuel to the engines shortly after takeoff. The report, published by the Wall Street Journal, outlines the final exchange between the pilots just seconds before the crash. Recording points to possible fuel switch action According to the Wall Street Journal, the first officer operating the Boeing 787 Dreamliner questioned the captain about moving the switches to the "cutoff" position shortly after the plane took off. The captain reportedly remained calm, while the first officer reacted in panic. The cockpit conversation is part of the preliminary findings by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AIIB), which noted that both engine fuel cutoff switches were triggered within a one-second gap, shortly after takeoff. The entire time from liftoff to crash was 32 seconds. BREAKING It's becoming increasingly clear that the captain of the Air India flight which crashed last month intentionally shut off the fuel switches on the plane, leading to the crash.A black box recording reveals that after the fuel switches went off, the co-pilot asked the… Sources cited in the Wall Street Journal report, including US pilots and aviation experts familiar with the investigation, suggest it was the captain who moved the switches. However, the preliminary report does not state if the action was intentional or accidental. Civil aviation minister urges caution Responding to the media report, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu urged people not to jump to conclusions based on the early findings. 'I don't think we should jump to any conclusions over this,' Mr. Naidu said. 'This is only a preliminary report. There are technicalities involved, and it would be premature to make assumptions. We value our pilots and crew—they are the backbone of Indian aviation.' Pilots' body criticises the US report The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), led by President CS Randhawa, has strongly criticised the Wall Street Journal article. Randhawa stated that the AIIB report does not directly blame the pilots for manually shutting down the fuel switches and warned against speculative reporting. 'We condemn the article,' Randhawa said. 'Nowhere in the report is it mentioned that the pilot made the mistake. This kind of reporting is irresponsible. We will take action against the publication.' He added that drawing conclusions without waiting for the final detailed report is unjustified and misleading. Air India confirms fleet-wide checks Air India has completed precautionary checks across its fleet of Boeing 787-8 aircraft on the locking mechanisms of the Fuel Control Switches (FCS). These checks were carried out following directives from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The airline confirmed that no issues were found. 'All Boeing 787 aircraft underwent inspections, and everything was in order,' Air India's engineering team informed. The airline also confirmed that all its 787-8s had previously received new Throttle Control Modules (TCMs), which include the FCS components, in line with Boeing's maintenance guidelines. As investigations continue, officials urge caution while Air India completes checks and pilot groups demand accountability in media coverage.
NDTV
6 days ago
- General
- NDTV
New Air India Crash Details As US Media Accesses Last Pilot Conversation
New Delhi: A cockpit recording of the last conversation between the two pilots of the Air India flight that crashed last month in Gujarat's Ahmedabad indicates that the Captain cut off the fuel to the plane's engine, according to a US media report. The report in the Wall Street Journal says the first officer flying the Boeing 787 Dreamliner asked the more-experienced Captain why he moved the switches to the "cutoff" position, shortly after the flight took off from the runway. The first officer then expressed panic, while the Captain remained calm, the report says. The two pilots involved were Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder, who had a total flying experience of 15,638 hours and 3,403 hours. They were among the 241 people onboard who were killed in the crash, along with 19 people on the ground. Only one passenger survived the crash. The Wall Street Journal cites a preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AIIB), which also suggests that the fuel cutoff switches for both engines were moved to the cutoff position, one after another, within a 1-second interval, at an altitude just moments after liftoff. The time between takeoff and crash was just 32 seconds, it said. The details in the preliminary report suggest it was the captain who turned off the switches, the Wall Street Journal says, citing people familiar with the matter, US pilots and safety experts tracking the probe. "The report didn't say whether turning off the switches might have been accidental or deliberate," says the US publication. 'Don't jump to conclusions' Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said last week that the report is only based on preliminary findings and "one should not jump to conclusions" till the final report is released. "I don't think we should jump to any conclusions over this. I believe we have the most wonderful workforce of pilots and crew in the whole world. I have to appreciate all the efforts the pilots and crew of the country are putting, they are the backbone of civil aviation. They are the primary resource of civil aviation. We care for the welfare and well-being of the pilots, too. So let us not jump into any conclusions at this stage and wait for the final report," he said. Mr Naidu added, "There are technicalities involved. It will be very premature to comment on the report. The preliminary has come in, but we have to wait for something concrete to come in." The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA), a global pilots' body, also issued a statement on the AIIB report, saying that while it raises many questions, it does not provide any answers. According to the association, any extrapolation of the content of the interim report can only be regarded as guesswork and may hamper the course of investigation. The international pilots' body also urged everyone to refrain from speculation, allow the investigation to run its full and proper course, and avoid drawing conclusions from the preliminary report. Air India checks fuel control switches Air India, which completed the precautionary inspections on the locking mechanism of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) across its fleet of Boeing 787-8 aircraft, said that it did not find any issues during the checks. The inspections were conducted on the directive of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). "Over the weekend, our Engineering team initiated precautionary inspections on the locking mechanism of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) on all our Boeing 787 aircraft. The inspections have been completed, and no issues were found," the airline informed its flight crew. The airline also confirmed that all of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft have undergone Throttle Control Module (TCM) replacements as part of Boeing's prescribed maintenance schedule. The Fuel Control Switch is an integrated part of the TCM.
Associated Press
14-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
EMGA raises US$160m from AIIB for Brazil's BTG Pactual
Emerging Markets Global Advisory LLP (EMGA) announces today they have delivered another US$160m debt finance for their long-standing Brazil-based client, BTG Pactual. The US$160 million 7-year senior unsecured loan was provided by AIIB, and the transaction follows on from several prior transactions for BTG also advised by EMGA for a cumulative US$1.1bn. Sajeev Chakkalakal, Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking at EMGA, said: 'This facility again demonstrates our long-standing relationship with BTG. It has further enabled growth in their water and sanitation portfolio, thereby cementing their role as one of the pre-eminent Brazilian banks in the ESG investment sector. It was also a pleasure working with AIIB as a leading multilateral DFI on their largest deal with a Brazilian private sector bank.' Jeremy Dobson, Managing Director, and Head of Operations at EMGA, added: 'This is our first transaction with AIIB, and we look forward to working with them again in the future. To date EMGA has secured nearly USD 2bn of investment into Brazil, and it remains one of our most important markets globally.' BTG Pactual: BTG is the largest investment bank in Latin America, the 6th largest bank in Brazil by shareholders equity and a key player in providing loans and guarantees to a broad set of clients, from SMEs to large corporations. BTG is a pioneer in promoting climate finance in Brazil and plays a pivotal role in channeling resources towards projects with a positive impact in the community. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank and international financial institution that aims to collectively improve economic and social outcomes in Asia. It is the world's second largest multilateral development institution. Emerging Markets Global Advisory LLP (EMGA), with offices in London and New York, helps financial institutions and corporates seeking new debt or equity capital. EMGA's multi-national team collectively have decades of experience in closing over USD 9bn of debt and private equity transactions for their clients within the world's emerging markets and frontier economies, including Brazil which remains a key market. With a proven track record in capital formation and strategic advisory throughout diverse economic cycles, EMGA continues to deliver geographic reach and a diverse service offering, solidifying its place in the market as a pre-eminent emerging markets specialized boutique investment bank. Contact [email protected]
