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Free Malaysia Today
15 hours ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Air India Dreamliner returns to Hong Kong after technical issue mid-air
The incident comes days after the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, which used the same type of Boeing aircraft. (EPA Images pic) NEW DELHI : An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane bound for New Delhi returned to its origin of Hong Kong as a precautionary measure today, after the pilot suspected a technical issue mid-air, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The incident comes days after an Air India flight to London, using the same type of Boeing aircraft, crashed in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad moments after take-off, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. The Dreamliner aircraft flying Air India flight AI315 out of Hong Kong on Monday is now undergoing checks, said the source with knowledge of the matter. AI315 made a return to Hong Kong International Airport and requested local standby at around 1pm, and 'landed safely at around 1.15 pm', the spokesman of Airport Authority Hong Kong said. The airport operations were not affected, the spokesman added. Flight AI315 took off from Hong Kong at around 12.20pm and landed just around an hour later. It reached an altitude of 22,000 feet, and then started descending, according to flight tracking website AirNav Radar. The plane was 7 years old. Boeing and Air India did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Hong Kong-New Delhi flight. Last week's crash brings a new challenge for both Air India, which has for years been trying to revamp its fleet, and Boeing, which is trying to rebuild public trust following a series of safety and production crises.
Russia Today
a day ago
- Russia Today
Cockpit voice recorder recovered from Air India crash
Officials investigating the crash of Air India flight AI171, recovered the plane's second cockpit voice recorder on Sunday, the PTI news agency reported, citing UK-bound Boeing 787 carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed into a medical college hostel just minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad on Thursday, killing at least 290 people. The discovery of the second box comes two days after India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) confirmed the identification of the first recorder on Friday, which is being examined by officials from India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Efforts are ongoing to identify the deceased. The number of confirmed DNA matches in the plane crash has risen to 80, with 33 bodies having been identified and handed over to their respective families, the Additional Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, said on Sunday. In a statement, the AAIB and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said that a high-level review meeting had been held, at which relief, rescue, and investigation efforts were discussed. Experts have raised concerns of possible technical faults, crew miscalculations, and configuration errors as possible causes that forced the Boeing 787-8 plane into a populated area. Investigation officials told the Associated Press that early indications suggest the aircraft may not have been correctly configured for takeoff. DGCA has asked Air India to carry out maintenance on its Boeing 787-8/9 Dreamliner aircraft immediately, including a review of all take-off parameters and aircraft checks over the last two weeks. A team from Boeing has joined the probe into the crash on-site. Parts of the aircraft's two General Electric GEnx engines are being sent to the US for detailed analysis, a Hindustan Times report said. India's civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu confirmed in a press briefing on Saturday that 'Of the 34 Dreamliners in India, eight have already undergone inspection.'
Irish Times
5 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Death toll of more than 290 after Air India crash, with airline confirming all but one passenger killed
More than 290 people have been killed after a London-bound Air India flight crashed in a residential area in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, according to police and local reports. A British -Indian man is believed to be the sole survivor. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was carrying 242 people when it crashed minutes after taking off at 1.38pm local time from Ahmedabad, the main city in the north-western Indian state of Gujarat. Air India confirmed 241 of the 242 people on board were killed in the crash. READ MORE Footage showed the aircraft flying over the city before disappearing behind trees and bursting into flames, in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. It is not yet known what caused the crash, which comes after a series of accidents involving Boeing aircraft . The disaster will bring new questions about the US company's safety record. The plane is said to have struck the top of the dining area of the state-run BJ Medical College hostel, which housed medical students, doctors and their families in the Meghaninagar residential area. [ Analysis: Early indications pilot decision to raise nose of Air India plane may have caused crash Opens in new window ] 'Approximately 294 have died. This includes some students as the plane crashed on the building where they were staying,' said Vidhi Chaudhary, a police officer. Those on board the Gatwick-bound flight included two pilots and 10 cabin crew. The passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants. Of them, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were from Britain, seven were Portuguese and one was Canadian, Air India said. The sole survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British-Indian man from London, described seeing bodies all around him after the crash. 'Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,' Mr Ramesh told the Hindustan Times. He said he had 'impact injuries', including bruising on his chest, eyes and feet, but was otherwise lucid and conscious. Mr Ramesh said: 'When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.' Footage filmed shortly after the crash showed Mr Ramesh bloodied and limping as he walked to an ambulance. The Ahmedabad police commissioner, Gyanendra Singh Malik, told local media there was one survivor who was in seat 11A, which corresponded to Mr Ramesh's seat on the flight manifest. Footage of the aftermath showed smoke rising over the area and firefighters on charred streets as people were moved on stretchers. In other images, part of the mangled plane could be seen sticking out of a building. Residents told how the crash sounded like a bomb blast and 'felt like an earthquake'. According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad airport, the aircraft departed at 1.39pm (9.09am Irish time) from runway 23. It issued a mayday call, after which nothing more was heard from the flight deck. Air India's chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran described the crash as a 'tragic accident'. Tata Group, the parent company of Air India, said it would provide 10 million rupees (about €100,000) to the families of those who were killed. It said it would also cover the medical costs of those injured and provide support in the 'building up' of the medical college the plane crashed into. India's civil aviation minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, posted on X that rescue teams had been mobilised and all efforts were being made to ensure medical aid and relief support at the site. Residents told Agence France-Presse about the aftermath of the crash. 'When we reached the spot there were several bodies lying around and firefighters were dousing the flames. Many of the bodies were burned,' said Poonam Patni. Another resident, who did not want to be named, said: 'We saw people from the building jumping from the second and third floor to save themselves. The plane was in flames. We helped people get out of the building and sent the injured to the hospital.' The crash follows a series of safety crises involving other Boeing aircraft. The company is trying to rebuild trust after two fatal crashes of its 737 Max model in 2018 and 2019. Boeing said on Thursday that its 'thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected'. - Guardian
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- General
- Bloomberg
Over 200 Dead After London-Bound Boeing Jet Crashes in India
More than 200 people have been found dead at the crash site of a Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner operated by Air India that was bound for London, according to police officials. Flight AI171 crashed shortly after taking off in Ahmedabad in the worst accident involving the US planemaker's most advanced twin-aisle aircraft. Officials didn't immediately say how many of those people were passengers, crew or area residents. Flight AI171 was carrying 242 passengers and crew. Video footage shared on social media showed a giant plume of smoke engulfing the crash site. 'We have found 204 bodies, we are looking for more bodies,' Police Commissioner G.S. Malik told Bloomberg. 'There is a chance that there may be survivors. 41 injured are being treated. These include people who were staying in the residential area.' (Source: Bloomberg)
