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Economic Times
a day ago
- General
- Economic Times
Fault within aircraft that jet fuel switch turned off automatically: Civil aviation expert on AI171 preliminary crash report
Synopsis A preliminary report on the Air India AI171 crash indicates a potential aircraft malfunction led to the tragedy, according to aviation expert Sanat Kaul. The report suggests the fuel supply to the engines was unexpectedly cut off during takeoff, causing the crash that killed 260 people. Air India flight AI-171 crash: Aviation expert analyses AAIB's preliminary report, negates captain's fault Civil aviation expert Sanat Kaul has said that the preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on the Air India flight AI171 crash suggests that "some fault within the aircraft" led to the jet fuel switches turning off automatically during takeoff, causing the tragic crash that killed 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the to ANI, Kaul said the report indicates that fuel supply to the aircraft's engines was unexpectedly cut off during takeoff."From the report I have seen, there was no other reason for the aircraft to go down but the manufacturing part; the fuel to the engine itself switched off accidentally or there was something that the pilot or the co-pilot was not aware of and the engine lost the thrust," Kaul said. Also Read | Liftoff. Cutoff. Mayday. Crash: 60 seconds that ended in disaster "It appears that the fuel was cut off on takeoff. The voice recorder makes it clear that neither the commander nor the co-pilot switched off the jet fuel switch. This is obviously some fault within the aircraft that the jet fuel switch turned off automatically," he added. Kaul also raised concerns about aircraft manufacturer Boeing. "In Boeing, it is not the first time; there were two instances of that new plane, which, after takeoff, again went down and crashed, and people died. In both these cases, it finally came out that the changes have been made in the max varieties of 737, and the pilot was not aware of the situation, and Boeing deliberately did not give training because training costs money, and they have to bear the cost," he said."There have been whistleblowers from the ones who worked in the Boeing company who said that Boeing is trying to save money on manufacturing and safety aspects," Kaul Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released the preliminary report into the tragic crash of Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12. Also Read: The unanswered questions in govt's 15-page preliminary findings into AI-171 tragedy The report outlines a harrowing sequence of events that unfolded within 90 seconds of takeoff, as both engines of the aircraft shut down unexpectedly during the initial climb, leading to a catastrophic loss of thrust and rapid data recovered from the aircraft's Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR) revealed that the fuel cutoff switches for both engines were inadvertently moved from RUN to CUTOFF, one after the other within a 1-second interval, at an altitude just moments after liftoff. One pilot was heard asking the other, "Why did you cut off?" to which the response was, "I did not."This uncommanded shutdown triggered the deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT), and the aircraft began losing altitude almost immediately, unable to sustain powered to the AAIB, the pilots re-engaged the fuel switches in an attempt to relight both engines. Engine 1 showed signs of recovering thrust, but Engine 2 failed to stabilise. The aircraft, which had briefly reached a speed of 180 knots, was already descending and failed to regain altitude. The final distress call -- a "MAYDAY" -- was transmitted at 08:09 UTC, just seconds before the aircraft crashed into residential buildings outside the airport aircraft struck several buildings, including the BJ Medical College hostel, causing significant structural and fire damage across five structures. The Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) did not activate, and emergency services were mobilised within five minutes of the wreckage trail extended over 1,000 feet, with major components including the vertical stabiliser, engines, and landing gear found embedded in buildings and scattered across the crash aircraft, registered VT-ANB, was delivered in 2013 and had recently undergone routine maintenance. All Airworthiness Directives had been complied with, and the fuel quality was confirmed to be within specifications. There were no reported technical defects linked to the engines or flight control systems immediately before the pilot-in-command, a 56-year-old with over 15,000 flying hours, and the co-pilot, 32, with over 3,400 hours, were both fully qualified and had no recent duty irregularities or medical issues reported. ( Originally published on Jul 12, 2025 )
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Sanjay Kaul appointed MD and CEO of GIFT City, Gandhinagar
Sanjay Kaul, a 2001-batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre has been appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of GIFT City Company Limited in Gandhinagar on deputation. The General Administration Department (GAD) of Gujarat government issued a notification in this regard on Monday. Currently, Kaul is on central deputation performing duties as joint secretary in the Union Ministry of Culture, handling portfolios like international cultural relations, UNESCO and Intangible Cultural Heritage, Library & Schemes and The Asiatic Society & Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies. As per the GAD notification, Kaul will be on deputation at GIFT City from the date of assumption of charge of the post, for a period of three years or until further orders. Sanjay Kaul has earlier worked in Gujarat on deputation as the managing director of the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited and Gujarat Informatics Limited. The outgoing MD and CEO of GIFT City Company Limited, Tapan Ray, a retired Gujarat-cadre IAS officer is expected to hold the charge of the post till Kaul assumes charge.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
'Missing signatures, no pilot in team…' Sanat Kaul Tears Into AAIB Report, Points to Major Lapses
Aviation expert Sanat Kaul has raised serious concerns over the preliminary report on the Air India flight AI171 crash. Calling the report 'not OK,' Kaul questioned the lack of pilot representation in the probe team and highlighted deviations from ICAO's Annex 13 protocols. Pilot bodies have also alleged bias and lack of transparency in the investigation. The crash, which occurred on June 12 in Ahmedabad, claimed 260 lives.#ai171 #airindiacrash #aviationnews #sanatkaul #icao #boeing787 #airindianews #pilotassociation #aviationupdate #crashinvestigation #civilaviation #airplanesafety #breakingnews #aviationalert #india Read More
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Don't think report is ok": Aviation expert Sanat Kaul questions AI 171 crash report, calls for pilot inclusion in probe panel
New Delhi [India], July 13 (ANI): Aviation expert Sanat Kaul on Sunday raised concerns over the preliminary report of the Air India 171 crash investigation, stating that it is 'not ok.' He emphasised the need for pilots to be included in the probe panel, as per the International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) charter. 'Well the report, with the National Emblem, from the Ministry of Civil Aviation is not signed, that is correct. It should have been signed. But I don't think the report is ok. We should wait for the final report, and the final report may not align with the preliminary report; there can be several changes in the final report,' Kaul told ANI here. Kaul stressed that a pilot familiar with Boeing 787 systems or at least 737 experience should be part of the investigation team. He called for the implementation of Annex 13 of ICAO's charter, outlining procedures for plane crash investigations. 'The other is that in these investigations the International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) charter has to be implemented. There has to be a team, experts. So they have a contention that no pilot is in the team, there has to be a pilot who is conversant with Boeing 787 aircraft. If they can't find a pilot with that experience, then they should have someone (having experience) with atleast (Boeing) 737,' Kaul said. The Aviation expert's remarks comes after the Federation of Indian Pilots and the Airline Pilots' Association of India also raised doubts over the preliminary report, saying that 'qualified, experienced personnel, especially pilots' are not being included in the team of experts. Kaul and the Airline Pilots' Association of India emphasised the need for qualified, experienced personnel, especially pilots, to be included in the investigation team. India is a signatory of the ICAO Chicago Convention (1944), the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement on June 26 that the investigation is happening 'in accordance with ICAO Annex 13 and the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017.' The multi-disciplinary probe committee formed by the Central government is chaired by the Union Home Secretary and includes Secretary Ministry of Civil Aviation, Senior Officials from Home Ministry, Officials of Home Department and State Disaster Response Authority of Gujarat, Police Commissioner of Ahmedabad, Director General of Inspection and Safety in the Indian Air Force and Director General of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. Earlier, commenting on the June 12th AI 171 crash, the Airline Pilots' Association of India said, 'The tone and direction of the investigation suggest a bias toward pilot error. We categorically reject this presumption and insist on a fair, fact-based inquiry.' 'The report was leaked to media without any responsible official signature or attribution. There is lack of transparency in investigation as investigations continue to be shrouded in secrecy, undermining credibility and public trust. Qualified, experienced personnel, especially line pilots, are still not being included in the investigation team,' the association added. The crash of Air India flight AI171, a Boeing Dreamliner 787-8, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, claimed 260 lives, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground on June 12. (ANI)
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Judiciary must perform role of catalyst for LGBTQIA+ rights: Former SC judge Sanjay Kishan Kaul
Former Supreme Court judge Justice (retd) Sanjay Kishan Kaul said that the judiciary must perform the role of a catalyst for the rights of LGBTQIA+ persons. He was speaking on Saturday (July 13, 2025) at the launch event of a policy document on recommendations for queer inclusion in India's legal and social landscape, organised by Keshav Suri Foundation and Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy. 'The judiciary must perform the role of a catalyst. India's legislative landscape for LGBTQIA+ recognition has evolved, but significant gaps persist. The term queer is not defined in Indian law, and asexual individuals are invisible in policy frameworks,' Justice (retd) Kaul said. During his keynote address, the former apex court judge also referred to the tennis player Radhika Yadav's murder case. 'The challenge that we face in our country, and actually across the world, I think, (about discrimination). See a thing as simple as a man-woman relationship, where a woman chooses on her own – forget the cities, look at how it dealt with at different levels, inter-caste marriages; people let loose the process which destroy the lives of their children – the recent episode two days ago where a father shoots her own daughter – when we talk of problems; please look at the society all around; this also has to change,' Justice (retd) Kaul said. He said that in February this year, the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment introduced certain administrative measures for queer couples, including access to ration cards, joint bank accounts, and the right to claim a partner's body in case of death (if no next of kin existed). 'These measures, prompted by the Supreme Court's (earlier) judgment, are a step forward but remain limited, as they are not enshrined in statute and do not address comprehensive rights,' he said. Justice (retd) Kaul said that anti-discrimination law was more crucial in today's age, where access to capital was the requisite for access to capital. 'Starting a business, buying a house or even otherwise bridging personal needs is wholly dependent on factors such as ease of availing loans or finances, opening bank accounts. Undoubtedly, there are barriers to access for LGBTQIA+ persons to even something as routine as opening a bank account, which requires one to carry a document which conforms to gender identity,' he said. 'An almost existential difficulty faced by LGBTQIA persons is access to goods, financial services and access to public infrastructure,' the ex-top court judge added. He said the future of queer rights required action in the realm of the legislature and the executive, with a coordinated effort across various ministries and departments. 'There is also, a degree of legislative inertia on the rights and entitlements of queer persons, which risks prolonging the legal limbo for same-sex couples seeking marriage, adoption, or inheritance rights. A conservative attitude still persists across a large populace of the country, which hinders acceptance,' said Justice (retd) Kaul. He said that the country was on a path of progressive recognition of the rights of LGBTQIA+ persons and that urban areas and younger generations showed greater openness, even while the rural and conservative communities remained hostile. 'I truly believe that the future is more promising than what is behind us, and in the words of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, 'Hope will never be silent,' said Justice (retd) Kaul.
