Latest news with #AviationExperts
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Air India plane crash investigators probe whether doomed jet was OVERLOADED and examine training records of pilots as black boxes found in Ahmedabad wreckage reveal crucial new details
Authorities investigating the deadly Air India crash that killed at least 270 are studying the black boxes of the plane, and are looking at whether it was overloaded and if the pilots were properly trained. The Gatwick-bound Air India aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed on a medical college hostel soon after taking off from the western city of Ahmedabad last Thursday. Only one passenger, British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, survived the crash, while 241 people on board and 29 on the ground were killed in one of India's worst aviation disaster in decades. Experts from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau are probing the crash with assistance from the UK, the US and officials from Boeing. Amit Singh, a former pilot and an aviation expert, said the recovery of the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, or black boxes, are crucial to piece together the sequence of events. The cockpit voice recorder records pilots' conversation, emergency alarms and any distress signal made before a crash. The plane's digital flight data recorder stores information related to engine and control settings. Both devices are designed to survive a crash. 'The data will reveal everything,' Singh said, adding that the technical details could be corroborated by the cockpit voice recorder that would help investigators know of any communication between air traffic control and the pilots. India's aviation regulatory body has said pilots Sumeet Sabharwal and Clive Kunder made a mayday call before the crash. Singh said the investigating authorities will scan CCTV footage of the nearby area and speak with witnesses to get to the root cause of the crash. Additionally, Singh said, the investigators will also study the pilot training records, total load of the aircraft, thrust issues related to the plane's engine, as well as its worthiness in terms of past performances and any previously reported issues. Aurobindo Handa, former director general of India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, said the investigators across the world follow a standard UN-prescribed Manual of Accident Investigation, also called 'DOC 9756,' which outlines detailed procedures to arrive at the most probable cause of a crash. Handa said the investigation into last week's crash would likely be a long process as the aircraft was badly charred. He added that ascertaining the condition of the black boxes recovered from the crash site was vital as the heat generated from the crash could be possibly higher than the bearable threshold of the device. The Indian government has set up a separate, high-level committee to examine the causes leading to the crash and formulate procedures to prevent and handle aircraft emergencies in the future. The committee is expected to file a preliminary report within three months. Authorities have also begun inspecting and carrying out additional maintenance and checks of Air India's entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners to prevent any future incident. Air India has 33 Dreamliners in its fleet. People look at the debris of an Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad of India's Gujarat state, June 12, 2025 The plane that crashed was 12 years old. 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. There were 53 British nationals on board Flight AI171 when it crashed into a residential area near the airport, as well as 159 Indian nationals, seven Portuguese citizens and a Canadian. Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said Saturday he hoped decoding the first black box, the flight data recorder, would 'give an in-depth insight' into the circumstances of the crash. Aviation experts believe the Boeing 787 Dreamliner may suddenly lost power 'at the most critical phase of flight' after takeoff. The possible causes are believed to include a rapid change in wind or a bird strike leading to a double-engine stall. Commercial airline pilot Steve Schreiber, who analyses plane crashes and close calls, said a new HD-quality video is a 'gamechanger' in diagnosing the cause and suggested the footage supported the dual engine failure theory. He pointed out that in the footage, a small device is seen extended underneath the plane's fuselage, known as the Ram Access Turbine (RAT), whose function is to support the aircraft's electrical power and hydraulic pressure in an emergency. Schreiber said that on a 787 there are three things that will deploy the RAT automatically: a massive electrical failure; a massive hydraulic failure; or a dual engine failure. The Boeing jet took off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel airport in the northwestern Indian state of Gujarat at 1:38pm local time (08:08 BST). The flight reached an altitude of just 625 feet, or 190 metres, according to flight tracking service Flightradar24. There it glided, seemingly suspended midair, but seconds later began descending rapidly as the engines appeared to give out. The underside of the jet smashed into a building housing trainee doctors working at the nearby BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital, killing dozens more civilians. The death toll now stands at 279 as rescuers continue picking through rubble.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Miracle escape of 'seat 11A' as British SURVIVOR is seen WALKING AWAY from Air India crash jet on local TV, after police said they feared all 244 on board Gatwick-bound flight had died
A British man has miraculously survived the Air India plane disaster, with desperate rescue efforts still underway to find others. Police said they had found a lone survivor who had been sitting in seat 11A when Flight 171 crashed shortly after takeoff in India this morning. Astonishing footage showed the man walking away from the scene with some visible injuries to his face. On the ground, police said they had discovered another survivor in the hospital struck by the plane as it came down in a residential area. Authorities had said earlier they believed there were no survivors on the Gatwick-bound flight that crashed in Gujarat carrying 242 passengers, including 53 Britons. The regional police chief said 'some locals would have also died', given that the plane smashed down into offices and accommodation for doctors close to a hospital. So far, rescue teams supported by the military have recovered 204 bodies, with casualties from the plane and the area surrounding the crash. The passengers included 159 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and a Canadian. Eleven of those on board were children, including two newborns. Aviation experts say that Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, may have suddenly lost power 'at the most critical phase of flight' after takeoff. The possible causes are believed to include a rapid change in wind or a bird strike leading to a double engine stall. Officials from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau are now at the scene to carry out an analysis of the wreckage and retrieve the stricken jet's black box. Videos shared on social media showed the aircraft rapidly losing altitude - with its nose up - before it hit a building and erupted in a violent explosion. The plane momentarily disappeared from view behind trees and buildings before a massive fireball erupted on the horizon in this horrifying clip The Boeing jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat at around 1:40pm (0810 GMT), officials said. Ahmedabad, the main city of India's Gujarat state, is home to around eight million people, and the busy airport is surrounded by densely packed residential areas. 'When we reached the spot there were several bodies lying around and firefighters were dousing the flames,' resident Poonam Patni told AFP. 'Many of the bodies were burned,' she added. 'Our office is near the building where the plane crashed. We saw people from the building jumping from the second and third floor to save themselves. The plane was in flames,' said one resident, who declined to be named. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the scenes from the crash were 'devastating', in a statement addressing passengers and their families 'at this deeply distressing time.' Boeing said it was 'working to gather more information' on the incident which a source close to the case said was the first crash for a 787 Dreamliner. Lt. Col. John R. Davidson, a former US Air Force pilot and commercial aviation safety consultant, said the plane appeared to have reached takeoff speed but not altitude, according to flight data, suggesting 'either a very late rotation or a stall shortly after takeoff'. 'There are a number of possible scenarios: thrust or engine performance issues, excessive aircraft weight, poor trim or flap configuration, or a more critical failure that affected the aircraft's ability to climb,' he said. 'Weather, windshear or even bird strike can't be ruled out either at this early stage.' Preliminary flight tracking data from flightradar24 reveals the plane reached an altitude of just 625ft after takeoff - a height far below standard for a commercial aircraft several minutes into departure. Captain Saurabh Bhatnagar, a former senior pilot, told NDTV that circulating footage showing the plane's terrifying descent 'looked like a case of multiple bird hits wherein both the engines have lost power'. 'The takeoff was perfect,' he said. 'And just, I believe, short of taking the gear up, the aircraft started descending, which can happen only in case the engine loses power or the aircraft stops developing lift.' Aviation expert Sanjay Lazar noted that the Dreamliner was only 11 years old, so was unlikely to have underlying technical issues. The plane was under the command of Captain Summeet Sabharwal, who had 8,200 hours of experience. A bird strike 'would explain why the aircraft did not have the power to lift,' he said. 'If there were multiple bird hits on take-off, it probably could not have gone beyond the 6-7 minute threshold and started falling.' In pilots' forums, aviation experts said that it sounded like the plane's Ram Air Turbine (RAT), an emergency wind turbine, had been deployed shortly before the crash. Wreckage of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner lies at the site where the Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025 Davidson explained that the low altitude and high speed reading at the final moment might indicate a 'steep nose-down trajectory or a stall event' just after takeoff. 'This is consistent with accidents like Spanair Flight 5022 and Flydubai Flight 981, where mechanical or environmental factors combined with compromised lift performance led to loss of control during or just after liftoff,' he said. The former pilot noted: 'Flight data alone isn't enough to determine fault — but it tells us this aircraft never truly made it airborne in a meaningful way. 'Whatever happened, it happened fast, and right at the most critical phase of flight.' According to data logs recorded at 30-second intervals showed the plane remained on the ground or was taxiing slowly for over four minutes after it first registered on public trackers. The plane took off and reached 625ft, but no further gains in altitude were recorded before the crash. India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the plane sent a mayday call moments before the tragedy unfolded. Prof Paul Williams, Professor of Atmospheric Science, University of Reading, observed: 'At the time of the departure, the weather conditions at the airport appear to have been very good. 'It was a dry and sunny day in Ahmedabad, with temperatures near 40°C. 'There was good visibility and light winds from the west. There was no bad weather in the vicinity. 'There is no indication at this stage that turbulence or other weather conditions were a factor in the crash.' Prof John McDermid, Lloyd's Register Chair of Safety, University of York, noted: 'It's surprising that the accident occurred before the aircraft had even got to 200metres altitude. 'Pilots can abort take-off until quite late in the take-off roll, so it seems like the problem occurred very suddenly in the final part of the take-off roll, or shortly after take-off, and was sufficiently serious to be unmanageable. 'Given the levels of redundancy in systems, the fact that aircraft are designed to climb out on only one engine, etc. on initial sight this seems a very surprising accident.' Peter Neenan, aviation lawyer and Partner at UK law firm Stewarts, explained that there would likely be a joint investigation to uncover the cause of the tragedy. 'In due course, the Indian Directorate of General Civil Aviation will begin their investigation,' he said. 'The US National Transportation Safety Board will assist in that investigation and given the number of deaths of British nationals, we would expect the UK Air Accident Investigation Branch to also assist.' He noted that such investigations 'routinely take two or more years to complete'. The jet careened back to earth in the densely populated Meghani area of the city. Dark images showed the charred remains of bodies littering the site, while other pictures shared to social media revealed chunks of the plane's fuselage and tail protruding from a demolished building. Parts of the jet smashed into accommodation for doctors practising at the BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital. Remnants of the fuselage and the landing gear were seen dangling through a gaping hole in the side of what appeared to be a canteen, with half-finished plates of food clearly visible on benches inside. 'The building on which it has crashed is a doctors' hostel... we have cleared almost 70% to 80% of the area and will clear the rest soon,' a senior police officer told reporters at the scene. Firefighters doused the smouldering piles of debris with their hoses as photos and videos taken by horrified residents in Meghani showed a huge plume of thick black smoke emanating from the crash site. 'Our office is near the building where the plane crashed. We saw people from the building jumping from the second and third floor to save themselves. The plane was in flames,' said one resident, who declined to be named. Footage of the final moments before the crash appeared to show the plane descending in a controlled manner with a high nose angle and landing gear deployed. It momentarily disappeared from view behind trees and buildings before a massive fireball erupted on the horizon. The jet was fuelled for a long-haul flight direct to Gatwick, intensifying the blast. British Foreign Minister David Lammy said he was 'deeply saddened' by news of the crash, adding that Britain was now working with Indian authorities to establish exactly what led to the incident. 'My thoughts are with all those affected. The UK is working with local authorities in India to urgently establish the facts and provide support,' his statement read. The Indian aviation minister's office said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described the crash as 'heartbreaking beyond words', had directed it to ensure all support was extended to the rescue efforts immediately. All relevant agencies were on high alert and coordinated efforts were underway, the aviation minister's office added. Air India's Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran shared a heartfelt statement that read: 'With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today. 'Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event. At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families. 'We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted.' Gatwick Airport subsequently confirmed the flight that was due to land at 18:25 today had crashed on departure. Aviation expert Julian Bray told MailOnline: 'It's a Boeing Dreamliner that has gone down - not certain whether they've managed to get anybody off the plane. 'If it has indeed crash-landed and they can deploy the chutes out then they should be able to get people off in 90 seconds. I am aware there are fire appliances in attendance - this is a major incident. 'It is very disappointing that it is a Dreamliner as it is a state-of-the-art Boeing. We cannot rule out security issues. But this is all speculation on my part.' Weather conditions were calm at the time of the accident with clear skies and a windspeed of just seven knots, or eight miles per hour. Indian news agency ANI reported police sources had confirmed 242 people were on board the flight. India's aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said in a statement: 'Shocked and devastated to learn about the flight crash in Ahmedabad. We are on highest alert. 'I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action. 'Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site. My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families.' The Director General of India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is en route to the site of the incident with a team of investigators, according to the Times of India. Air India shared a brief statement in the wake of the disaster, writing on X: 'Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025. 'At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest.' Ahmedabad is the main city in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat. Ahmedabad airport said it had suspended all flight operations with immediate effect following the incident this morning. The flight reportedly reached an altitude of just 625 feet before it began to descend, according to flight tracking service Flightradar 24, which declared the plane's transponder signal dropped just seconds after it left the runway Shocking images shared to social media showed a huge trail of smoke emanating from the crash site near the international airport this morning Thick plumes of black smoke are seen rising from the site of the crash The 787 Dreamliner involved in today's crash is a widebody, twin-engine plane. It is believed to be the first ever of a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. The last fatal plane crash in India was in 2020 and involved Air India Express, the airline's low-cost arm. The airline's Boeing-737 overshot a 'table-top' runway at Kozhikode International Airport in southern India. The plane skidded off the runway, plunging into a valley and crashing nose-first into the ground. Twenty-one people were killed in that crash. The formerly state-owned Air India was taken over by Indian conglomerate Tata Group in 2022, and merged with Vistara - a joint venture between the group and Singapore Airlines – in 2024. Tata said an emergency centre had been activated and a support team set up for families seeking information. Today's tragedy is the latest in a string of disasters involving Boeing jets and comes just six months after a 737 crashed in South Korea, killing 179. In October 2018, Boeing's Lion Air flight 610 plunged into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff from Jakarta, in Indonesia killing all 189 people on board. Then, in March 2019, Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 crashed minutes after departing Addis Ababa, resulting in the deaths of 157 passengers and crew. Shares of planemaker Boeing fell 8% in premarket US trading following today's incident. Boeing said in a statement it was aware of initial reports and was working to gather more information.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
China's 6th-gen fighter jet's cockpit has bomber-style side-by-side seats, shows pic
A new image has surfaced online that reportedly shows China's next-generation stealth aircraft, the so-called J36, parked on the ground. If genuine, the picture gives us some fascinating insight into the aircraft's design, most notably the front of it. Chinese media estimates the J-36 to be about 75 feet long and weigh between 99,200 and 119,000 pounds, significantly larger and heavier than fifth-generation jets like the J-20, which weighs around 75,000 to 82,000 pounds. One of the standout features of the new images is the J-36's cockpit section. Interestingly, it seems to have side-by-side seating (two seats next to each other), which is very rare for fighter jets. This arrangement is more like what you'd see in a bomber or strike aircraft like the F-111 or Russia's Su-34. The images also seem to confirm that the J-36 appears to have three open internal weapons bays underneath, one large center bay and two smaller ones on each side. This suggests the plane is very large, with significant internal space, capable of carrying a wide range of weapons, both small missiles and large standoff weapons (like cruise missiles). The side bays were previously just speculation, but this photo seems to confirm them. Another notable feature is that the nose appears to have gold-tinted sensor windows. These are most likely for tracking and targeting, similar to what you'd find on U.S. stealth aircraft. As previously speculated, the new image also reveals that the J-36 features three air intakes, two positioned below and one on top (dorsal), suggesting a triple-engine configuration. The lower intakes look similar to those on the F-22 Raptor, suggesting a focus on stealth and high-speed performance. The aircraft's three-engine design is unconventional, as most modern fighters typically use two engines for a balance of power and safety. This setup, it is speculated, could provide increased thrust for higher speeds and heavier payloads over long distances. Still, it also comes with higher fuel consumption and more complex maintenance requirements. As for the authenticity of the released image, the photo appears genuine, albeit with some caveats. For example, there are unusual visual artifacts, possibly due to image editing or camera distortion. The image also appears to be a photograph of a computer screen, rather than a direct digital image. Some areas, especially around the engine and landing gear, appear smudged or have glare, which can lead to uncertainty. That said, key background elements match known features of a test facility at the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation in China, known to be developing the J-36, lending credibility to the photo. However, if bona fide, the image shows that the J-36 is shaping up to be not just a stealth fighter, but a multi-role aircraft. To this end, it may combine features from various aircraft types, such as heavy tactical fighters, regional bombers, and a standoff weapons platform. This blurs the line between fighters and bombers, much like the B-21 Raider in the U.S., which isn't just a 'bomber' in the traditional sense, but a multi-role stealth platform. The J-36 is just one of two major Chinese 6th-generation programs; the other is the J-XDS, also known as the J-50. Both jets have been seen operating out of Chengdu. To this end, China seems to be prioritizing flexibility, stealth, and internal weapon carriage, much like the U.S. and its B-21 and NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance) programs.
