Latest news with #New Delhi
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
What the ‘black box' can tell us about plane crashes
NEW DELHI (AP) — A preliminary finding into last month's Air India plane crash has suggested the aircraft's fuel control switches were turned off, starving the engines of fuel and causing a loss of engine thrust shortly after takeoff. The report, issued by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau on Saturday, also found that one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel in the flight's final moment. The other pilot replied he did not do so. The Air India flight — a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner — crashed on June 12 and killed at least 260 people, including 19 on the ground, in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad. Only one passenger survived the crash, which is one of India's worst aviation disasters. The report based its finding on the data recovered from the plane's black boxes — combined cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders. Here is an explanation of what black boxes are and what they can do: What are black boxes? The cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder are tools that help investigators reconstruct the events that lead up to a plane crash. They're orange in color to make them easier to find in wreckage, sometimes at great ocean depths. They're usually installed a plane's tail section, which is considered the most survivable part of the aircraft, according to the National Transportation Safety Board's website. What does the cockpit voice recorder do? The cockpit voice recorder collects radio transmissions and sounds such as the pilot's voices and engine noises, according to the NTSB's website. Depending on what happened, investigators may pay close attention to the engine noise, stall warnings and other clicks and pops, the NTSB said. And from those sounds, investigators can often determine engine speed and the failure of some systems. Investigators can also listen to conversations between the pilots and crew and communications with air traffic control. Experts make a meticulous transcript of the voice recording, which can take up to a week. What does the flight data recorder do? The flight data recorder monitors a plane's altitude, airspeed and heading, according to the NTSB. Those factors are among at least 88 parameters that newly built planes must monitor. Some can collect the status of more than 1,000 other characteristics, from a wing's flap position to the smoke alarms. The NTSB said it can generate a computer animated video reconstruction of the flight from the information collected. What are the origins of the black box? At least two people have been credited with creating devices that record what happens on an airplane. One is French aviation engineer François Hussenot. In the 1930s, he found a way to record a plane's speed, altitude and other parameters onto photographic film, according to the website for European plane-maker Airbus. In the 1950s, Australian scientist David Warren came up with the idea for the cockpit voice recorder, according to his 2010 AP obituary. Warren had been investigating the crash of the world's first commercial jet airliner, the Comet, in 1953, and thought it would be helpful for airline accident investigators to have a recording of voices in the cockpit, the Australian Department of Defence said in a statement after his death. Warren designed and constructed a prototype in 1956. But it took several years before officials understood just how valuable the device could be and began installing them in commercial airlines worldwide. Why the name 'black box'? Some have suggested that it stems from Hussenot's device because it used film and 'ran continuously in a light-tight box, hence the name 'black box,'' according to Airbus, which noted that orange was the box's chosen color from the beginning to make it easy to find. Other theories include the boxes turning black when they get charred in a crash, the Smithsonian Magazine wrote in 2019. The media continues to use the term, the magazine wrote, 'because of the sense of mystery it conveys in the aftermath of an air disaster.'
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Trump Patience on Tariffs Runs Thin as Nations Jostle for Deals
US trading partners trying to navigate the final weeks of negotiations before President Donald Trump's so-called reciprocal tariffs hit are facing a leader who has made clear he's lost patience with talks. Even as negotiators from Brussels to New Delhi are racing to find a way out of the punishing levies he's floated, Trump continued to send letters unilaterally setting rates — while still allowing for a little wiggle room.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
What the ‘black box' can tell us about plane crashes
NEW DELHI (AP) — A preliminary finding into last month's Air India plane crash has suggested the aircraft's fuel control switches were turned off, starving the engines of fuel and causing a loss of engine thrust shortly after takeoff. The report, issued by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau on Saturday, also found that one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel in the flight's final moment. The other pilot replied he did not do so. The Air India flight — a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner — crashed on June 12 and killed at least 260 people, including 19 on the ground, in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad. Only one passenger survived the crash, which is one of India's worst aviation disasters. The report based its finding on the data recovered from the plane's black boxes — combined cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders. Here is an explanation of what black boxes are and what they can do: What are black boxes? The cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder are tools that help investigators reconstruct the events that lead up to a plane crash. They're orange in color to make them easier to find in wreckage, sometimes at great ocean depths. They're usually installed a plane's tail section, which is considered the most survivable part of the aircraft, according to the National Transportation Safety Board's website. What does the cockpit voice recorder do? The cockpit voice recorder collects radio transmissions and sounds such as the pilot's voices and engine noises, according to the NTSB's website. Depending on what happened, investigators may pay close attention to the engine noise, stall warnings and other clicks and pops, the NTSB said. And from those sounds, investigators can often determine engine speed and the failure of some systems. Investigators can also listen to conversations between the pilots and crew and communications with air traffic control. Experts make a meticulous transcript of the voice recording, which can take up to a week. What does the flight data recorder do? The flight data recorder monitors a plane's altitude, airspeed and heading, according to the NTSB. Those factors are among at least 88 parameters that newly built planes must monitor. Some can collect the status of more than 1,000 other characteristics, from a wing's flap position to the smoke alarms. The NTSB said it can generate a computer animated video reconstruction of the flight from the information collected. What are the origins of the black box? At least two people have been credited with creating devices that record what happens on an airplane. One is French aviation engineer François Hussenot. In the 1930s, he found a way to record a plane's speed, altitude and other parameters onto photographic film, according to the website for European plane-maker Airbus. In the 1950s, Australian scientist David Warren came up with the idea for the cockpit voice recorder, according to his 2010 AP obituary. Warren had been investigating the crash of the world's first commercial jet airliner, the Comet, in 1953, and thought it would be helpful for airline accident investigators to have a recording of voices in the cockpit, the Australian Department of Defence said in a statement after his death. Warren designed and constructed a prototype in 1956. But it took several years before officials understood just how valuable the device could be and began installing them in commercial airlines worldwide. Why the name 'black box'? Some have suggested that it stems from Hussenot's device because it used film and 'ran continuously in a light-tight box, hence the name 'black box,'' according to Airbus, which noted that orange was the box's chosen color from the beginning to make it easy to find. Other theories include the boxes turning black when they get charred in a crash, the Smithsonian Magazine wrote in 2019. The media continues to use the term, the magazine wrote, 'because of the sense of mystery it conveys in the aftermath of an air disaster.' Associated Press, The Associated Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
India to manufacture rare earth magnets locally due to Chinese supply cut
India is looking to manufacture rare earth magnets. A $156 million subsidy scheme has been introduced to domestic producers, the website Moneycontrol said on Friday. The South Asian nation possesses the world's third-largest reserves of rare earths, but less than 20% has been explored so far. 'It is proposed that there will be two manufacturers as of now, but this could change by the time the scheme is ready,' India's Minister of Heavy Industries and Steel has said, according to the website. An official at the ministry said the subsidy will be available to manufacturers that undertake end-to-end processing, from rare earth oxides to magnets. The proposed scheme aims to support both private companies and public sector enterprises by providing incentives to establish domestic capacity across the entire value chain. India Rare Earth Limited, a government-backed company, is set to play a crucial role by providing about 500 tons of rare earth raw materials to original equipment manufacturers involved in magnet production, the Moneycontrol report said. Billionaire Anil Agarwal's Vedanta Group, JSW Group and EV parts maker Sona BLW Precision Forgings Ltd. are among those who have expressed an interest in this initiative, according to a report by Bloomberg. New Delhi has stepped up its efforts to make the magnets that are used in electric vehicles, generators and hard drives, after Beijing announced export restrictions in April. China presently dominates the global market, accounting for around 60% of the world's supply of rare earth magnets. Under China's revised rules, its exporters are required to secure licenses and submit end-use declarations that confirm that materials will not be used in the defense industry or get re-exported to the US. Indian industry experts have called on the government to support the manufacturing of the component, which is also crucial for the renewable energy sector. In the 2024-25 fiscal year, the South Asian nation imported 53,748 tons of rare earth magnets, according to the Economic Times.
Times of Oman
2 days ago
- Business
- Times of Oman
Gold's rally awaits clarity on US interest rates and dollar weakness: Report
New Delhi: Current bullion market is focusing on a combination of factors which includes direction of US interest rates, weakness in USD, among many others factors for further guidance, noted a recent report by Emkay Wealth Management. The direction of US interest rates, which as of now is unclear about its likely impact on the tariffs on the US retail prices, which means that one of the major triggers for gold is absent. While the second major factor could be the weakness in the US Dollar against other currency majors. This can happen only with a sustained fall in the US Dollar yields and interest rates, the report said. Gold and the US dollar usually have an inverse relationship. Whenever dollar weakens, gold becomes cheaper for other currencies, increasing demand and often impacts its price, and vice-versa. However, the strength in the dollar and firming US bond yields over the last two weeks have added downward pressure on the gold prices. The report sees technical support for gold at USD 3,297 and USD 3,248. "What we need to see is a further fall in the Dollar caused by official rate cuts and a fall in market yields. There is a strong view that with the new budgeted spends to the tune of USD 4.60 trillion, the situation could become murkier because the resultant borrowings may put upward pressure on the yields," Emkay Wealth Management said. Along with that, a pattern of consolidation is currently being observed in the gold market, which typically leads to an increase in gold prices. The report further adds that, earlier this year, gold prices went up due to buying from China. However, towards the end of April and the beginning of May, when China reported a sell-off, that factor later became unnecessary in the bigger picture.
