Latest news with #RameshViswashkumar
NBC News
11-07-2025
- General
- NBC News
Fuel switches were cut off before Air India plane crashed, preliminary report says
Fuel switches were cut off on the Air India plane that crashed and killed 270 people last month shortly after the plane took off, a preliminary investigation report released Friday said. The report by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau comes as the airline has been under intense pressure to answer for the crash, which killed all but one passenger on the plane and 29 others on the ground. Fuel cutoff switches were changed from 'run' to 'cutoff' to engines 1 and 2 on the two-engine Boeing 787-8, a type of aircraft known as the Dreamliner, the report said. 'In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so,' the report reads. The report is preliminary and a final report could take weeks. The report released Friday does not reach conclusions or recommend actions to operators or manufacturers, and the investigation is continuing. Only one person survived the crash, British national Ramesh Viswashkumar. His brother, also on the plane, was killed. In addition to the 241 people on the plane who died, 29 people on the ground were also killed when the plane crashed. The London-bound Air India Flight 171 was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members when it crashed seconds after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad. It careened into a building where medical students were sitting down for lunch. After the switches were changed to cutoff, there were attempts to recover and relight, the report says. "Engine 1's core deceleration stopped, reversed and started to progress to recovery. Engine 2 was able to relight but could not arrest core speed deceleration and re-introduced fuel repeatedly to increase core speed acceleration and recovery," the report reads. One pilot then issued a distress call — "mayday mayday mayday" — and the plane lost altitude and crashed, the report says. The aircraft exploding upon impact. It was the first crash for Boeing's Dreamliner series of aircraft, which went into commercial service in 2011. The investigation by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau included members of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board because the crash involved an U.S.-made plane. Last month investigators began analyzing the black boxes after their recovery from the crash site. After the crash, India's aviation watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, ordered Air India to carry out additional maintenance on its Boeing 787-8/9 aircrafts. But no major concerns were found, the watchdog said on June 17 in a statement. A week later, the regulator said in a statement it had found multiple cases of 'repeated defects on aircraft indicating ineffective monitoring and inadequate rectification action,' while probing several airports, including at New Delhi and Mumbai, and that it had ordered for changes to be made within seven days. Reuters reported that Air India's subsidiary airline, Air India Express, was also reprimanded by Indian authorities in March, and is under investigation by the European Union's aviation safety agency for not timely changing engine parts of one of its Airbus aircraft.
CNA
19-06-2025
- General
- CNA
Air India crash survivor mourns brother killed in the same tragedy during emotional funeral
Ramesh Viswashkumar, the sole survivor of the deadly Air India plane crash, broke down as the body of his brother arrived in his hometown of Diu city, India on Wednesday (Jun 18). Viswashkumar and his brother were on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for Britain's Gatwick Airport on Jun 12, when the plane began losing altitude seconds after takeoff and crashed, killing over 270 people.
New Straits Times
14-06-2025
- General
- New Straits Times
Unpacking the complexities of plane crash survival beyond seat 11A
THE survival of a passenger who escaped through an exit door seconds after his Air India flight crashed, killing everyone else on board, has prompted speculation over whether his seat — 11A — is the safest. Aviation experts say it is not so straightforward because aircraft vary widely in seat configurations, crashes are unique and survival often hinges on a complex interplay of factors. "Each accident is different, and it is impossible to predict survivability based on seat location," said Mitchell Fox, a director at Flight Safety Foundation, a US-based nonprofit. Ramesh Viswashkumar said his 11A seat was near an emergency exit on the London-bound Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday, and he managed to walk out. Sitting next to an exit door might help you survive an accident but it won't always be 11A because aircraft can have dozens of different configurations. "In this particular instance, because the passenger was sitting adjacent to the emergency exit, this was obviously the safest seat on the day," said Ron Bartsch, chairman at Sydney-based AvLaw Aviation Consulting. "But it's not always 11A, it's just 11A on this configuration of the Boeing 787." A 2007 Popular Mechanics study of crashes since 1971 found that passengers towards the back of the plane had better survival odds. Some experts suggest the wing section offers more stability. Sitting next to an exit door, like Viswashkumar, gives you an opportunity to be one of the first out of the plane, although some exits don't function after a crash. The opposite side of the plane was blocked by the wall of a building it crashed into, he said. In January last year, a panel missing several bolts blew off the side of a Boeing 737 MAX mid-flight, creating a gaping hole and damaging the adjacent seat. Fortunately, no one was seated there at the time, and the incident resulted in no fatalities. Sitting by the aisle might offer you a speedier escape but it increases the likelihood of being hit in the head by luggage falling out of the overhead bins — a much more common occurrence than major crashes. Paying attention to the safety briefing at the start of your flight — often dismissed as routine — is likely the best way to improve your chances of survival, experts say. Disciplined compliance with cabin crew evacuation advice, including leaving bags behind, was a key factor in saving the lives of all 379 passengers and crew aboard a Japan Airlines flight in January last year. The Airbus A350 aircraft had collided with a Coast Guard plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, killing five of the six crew members on the smaller aircraft. Safety briefings typically cover critical instructions such as how to fasten your seatbelt securely, adopt the correct brace position and plan your evacuation route. A common tip is to count the number of rows between your seat and the nearest exit — vital knowledge if the cabin fills with smoke and visibility is low. Despite disasters such as the Air India crash, plane designs have evolved to increase the likelihood of passengers walking away from a rare plane accident, Fox said. These include floor path lighting, fire detection and extinguishers, less flammable cabin materials and improved access to emergency exits. "There have been remarkable advancements in airplane cabin design that have improved the survivability of accidents on or near the ground," Fox added.
Mint
14-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Air India plane crash: How much compensation the lone survivor from Ahmedabad tragedy will receive from airline?
Air India on Saturday announced an interim payment of ₹ 25 lakh each to the next of kin of the passengers who lost their lives in the Ahmedabad plane crash, as well as to the sole survivor - a British national of Indian origin and is being treated in a hospital. "As part of our continued efforts, Air India will be providing an interim payment of ₹ 25 lakh, or approximately £21,000, each to the families of the deceased and to the survivor, to help address immediate financial needs. This is in addition to the ₹ 1 crore, or approximately £85,000, support already announced by Tata Sons," Air India said in a statement posted on X. "Air India stands in solidarity with the families of the passengers who tragically lost their lives in the recent accident. Our teams on the ground are doing everything possible to extend care and support during this incredibly difficult time," the statement added. Screengrab from the post. The compensation from Air India comes in addition to the Tata Group's earlier announcement of ₹ 1 crore to the families of those who lost their lives in the accident on Thursday. The Air India plane crash, which killed 240 passengers, and miraculously left one lone survivor seated in 11A - is being regarded as the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, with 242 people on board, which was headed for Gatwick Airport, south of the British capital, had only one survivor - 40-year-old Ramesh Viswashkumar - after it crashed onto a medical college hostel during lunch hour. The lone survivor of the tragic Air India plane crash that claimed over 240 lives will receive an interim compensation of ₹ 25 lakh (approximately £21,000) from the airline, the company confirmed in a statement. Air India announced the payment as part of its support measures for both the families of the deceased and the sole survivor, aimed at helping them meet immediate financial needs. This interim relief is in addition to the ₹ 1 crore (around £85,000) financial assistance earlier pledged by Tata Sons, the parent company of Air India.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Seat 11A: Is it the safest seat on a plane? Experts say it depends
(NewsNation) — The crash of Air India Flight 171 has travelers worldwide wondering: Are there some seats on a plane that are safer than others, and if so, which seats are they? The crash, which took place shortly after takeoff Thursday from the Ahmedabad airport, killed 241 passengers and crew members. As investigators probe the crash and families mourn those killed, attention has turned to Ramesh Viswashkumar. Viswashkumar, 40, was the only person to survive the crash. The Latest: A single passenger survived the Air India crash, hospital says The British national was in seat 11A at the time of the crash, leading many to wonder if that particular seat is safer than others. The badly injured Viswashkumar struggled Thursday to describe what he experienced as people died in front of his eyes. NBC News reported that Viswashkumar was able to escape from the broken emergency exit door just moments before the fuel-loaded plane exploded in a fireball. 'Emergency door is broken. My seat is broken,' Viswashkumar told DD India in an interview. 'Then I see the space a little bit and I will try to come out.' 'Little bit of fire, after I'm out, then blast.' Air India's sole crash survivor narrates his escape So, is seat 11A the safest in a crash? It depends on multiple factors, according to experts. Seat 11A on a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is typically located near the front of the Economy Class cabin. Depending on the airliner's configuration, it is a window seat in the first or second row of that cabin. According to The Times in London, seat 11A on Flight 171 was the first economy seat, adjacent to the bulkhead emergency exit. There were seven other emergency exits on the plane. What to know about the Air India plane crash that killed more than 240 people Aviation experts say that determining the safest seats on a plane is not a straightforward task. 'Each accident is different, and it is impossible to predict survivability based on seat location,' Mitchell Fox, a director at Flight Safety Foundation, told Reuters. Ron Bartsch, chairman of the Sydney-based AvLaw Aviation Consulting, told the news agency that seat 11A's location may have made it a safer choice on this particular flight, but that will not always be the case. Sitting next to an emergency exit also does not guarantee survival. Despite seven other emergency exits on Flight 171, there were no other survivors. Air India black box recovered after crash that killed 241 onboard and several others on the ground Emergency exits might not work following a crash, or they might be blocked by debris, experts say. Sitting in an aisle seat could offer a faster escape, but there is the threat of luggage falling into the aisles or hitting survivors as it tumbles from an overhead bin. A 2015 analysis by Time magazine found that passengers in the rear third of an aircraft have a better chance of surviving a lower-impact crash, according to The Times. The front of the plane typically takes the brunt of the impact. Seats near the wings may offer more protection, both because of their proximity to emergency exits and because of the structural reinforcements in that section. Those seats are closer to the fuel tanks, however. Sitting near an emergency exit also comes with added responsibility because passengers in exit row seats are asked to help fellow passengers evacuate the plane in a crisis. A look at previous plane crashes in India Viswashkumar, who was filmed walking away, bloody and bruised, from the crash, never had that chance. Reuters reported that he initially believed that he would perish with his fellow passengers. 'But when I opened my eyes, I realized I was alive, and I tried to unbuckle myself from the seat and escape from where I could. It was in front of my eyes that the air hostess and others (died),' he said. According to Reuters, it is vital for passengers to pay attention to the safety briefings that the cabin crew provides at the start of any flight. Compliance with the crew's instructions is credited with saving the lives of 379 passengers and crew aboard a Japan Airlines flight last year. Along with paying attention to the safety briefing, the Federal Aviation Administration advises that passengers keep their seat belts buckles whenever the seat belt light is lit up. Seat belts, designed to be worn low and tight on the hips, keep passengers safe during takeoff and landing and during instances of air turbulence. Children under 40 pounds should be restrained in an approved child safety seat. Passengers should also follow the airline's carry-on policies to help prevent injuries. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
