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Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
What are the Air India crash theories and what happens next in the investigation?
Investigators have not ruled out sabotage as a cause for the Air India plane crash this month that killed 274 people. Flight AI171 bound for London Gatwick crashed just after take-off from Ahmedabad Airport on 12 June, killing all but one of the 242 people on board as well as nearly 30 people on the ground. Security CCTV footage from the airport showed the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner taking off before, moments later, starting to descend and then crashing and exploding into flames. On Sunday, India's civil aviation minister said investigators are looking into all possible causes of the disaster, including sabotage. Experts have told Yahoo News they regard sabotage as one of the less likely causes of the crash and warned that the nature of the incident could hamper efforts to recover data from the aircraft's block box. As it also emerged that a report into the causes of the crash will be published in three months, Yahoo News UK looks at the potential theories behind the disaster. The plane's pilot, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal - a veteran with 8,200 hours of flying experience - radioed air traffic control moments after take-off to say: "No thrust. Mayday, mayday." A report in the Wall Street Journal suggested that the aircraft's emergency power generator, known as the ram air turbine (RAT), was operating when the plane crashed, which aviation experts said indicated engine power failure may have been the cause. This system generates electricity and hydraulic pressure to ensure pilots can control the plane even if both engines fail. The likelihood of both engines failing is very rare, but can be caused by a bird strike. However, experts appear to have ruled out a bird strike, given none were visible in the CCTV footage of the crash. Some experts have said that CCTV footage shows the aircraft's wing flaps were not extended during take-off. This would have reduced lift during take-off in the 40C heat in India that requires higher flap settings. The plane's landing gear also appeared to be deployed, instead of being withdrawn upon leaving the runway. One theory is that the landing gear got stuck and that the pilots partially retracted the flaps to reduce drag in an attempt to keep climbing. However, if overdone, this could cause the plane to lose lift. Another possible cause being considered by investigators is fuel contamination, which can cause a double engine failure. Investigators will no doubt examine what fuel the Air India plane was using, the maintenance of refuelling equipment used at the airport and where exactly it was stored. The AAIB is also expected to look into whether the fuel was contaminated as part of a deliberate act of sabotage. On Sunday, Murlidhar Mohol, India's civil aviation minister, said that investigators from the country's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) were examining all of the potential causes of the crash, and that this included sabotage. In an interview with New Delhi Television (NDTV), he described the crash as an "unfortunate accident". However, he then spoke about the AAIB investigation into the disaster, saying: "It is being probed from all angles, including any possible sabotage. "The CCTV footage is being reviewed and all angles are being assessed. Several agencies are working on it." Aerospace engineering expert Dr Jason Knight, a senior lecturer in fluid mechanics at the University of Portsmouth, told Yahoo News he didn't think sabotage would be found to be the cause of the disaster. "Whilst sabotage is a possibility, in my opinion, it would be highly unlikely as the cause of the accident," he said, pointing out it is standard practice to examine if sabotage is a factor in air disasters. "They will leave no stone unturned and investigate all possibilities, including sabotage as a cause - regardless of how unlikely it is to be the cause," he said. At the end of last week, investigators began downloading data from the two black boxes that were recovered after the crash. The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) were located in the aftermath of the crash - one on the following day on the rooftop of a building and the other among the debris three days after the disaster. The Indian government said last week that the AAIB had started extracting the data from the black boxes after they were taken to New Delhi. Mohol dismissed reports that the black boxes would be sent outside the country for assessment, saying the AAIB will do the "entire investigation" and that a report into the causes of the crash will be published in three months. "Once the report comes, we will be able to ascertain if it was an engine problem or fuel supply issue or why both the engines had stopped functioning," he said. Dr Knight told Yahoo News: "The AAIB will want to be confident in their findings and will need time to gather evidence and examine all the findings. They will be using multiple sources of information to investigate and corroborate the actual cause." Dr Akhil Bhardwaj, a disasters expert and senior lecturer at the University of Bath, told Yahoo News the speed at which the incident happened may hamper the investigation. "Data from the recovered black box should enable investigators to zoom in on what went wrong," he said. "The short timeframe within which the event happened can make it more difficult to parse the data because many indicators might be confounded with each other and difficult to disentangle neatly. "This will take some time and investigators will naturally want to be careful about any report they release." Under United Nations (UN) rules, the AAIB must release a preliminary report on the crash within 30 days of the disaster. Investigators will also be looking at the possibility of any criminal charges. 'If there is evidence of criminal wrongdoing or negligence, one can imagine that charges will be brought," Dr Bhardwaj said. He pointed out that aeroplane manufacturer Boeing faced criminal charges after 346 people died in two similar plane crashes in Indonesia in October 2018 and Ethiopia in March 2019 involving 737 MAX aircraft. It was reported last month that Boeing will avoid prosecution for fraud in the US following a deal with the justice department that will involve it paying more than $1.1bn, as well as an additional $445m for the crash victims' families. Speaking about the Air India crash, Dr Bhardwaj said: "Understandably, any suggestion that Boeing was responsible for the crash would be highly unwelcome, especially as the company is only now beginning to recover from the reputational damage caused by the 737 MAX incidents. "It remains to be seen whether this disaster was a one-off or if there are systematic issues that need to be addressed and there are lessons to be learned from it.' Boeing said in a statement it is ready to support any investigation.
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The Independent
20-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
Simon Calder answers your air travel safety questions – from Boeing worries to the truth about budget airlines
The crash of Air India flight AI171 has shaken confidence in air travel and triggered an outpouring of questions during a recent Independent Ask Me Anything. It was the first fatal accident involving the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, an aircraft that had safely carried over a billion passengers since entering service in 2011. But on 12 June, just moments after take-off from Ahmedabad, the flight bound for London Gatwick crashed. Only one of the 242 people on board survived. Dozens more died on the ground. A preliminary report is expected in about three months. If there is evidence of a previously unknown problem that could jeopardise the safety of other aircraft, investigators will announce their initial conclusions as soon as possible. As always in the early stages of an investigation, aviation safety experts will consider a wide spectrum of possible contributory factors – from mechanical issues to the behaviour of the pilots, who, until and unless anything is known to the contrary, are presumed blameless. Lessons on how to improve safety in future will be shared with the aviation community. That is how aviation safety works: it is built on lessons learnt from past tragedies. A lot of attention has focused on seat 11A, where the sole survivor of the Air India tragedy was located. But there is no such thing as a guaranteed safest seat on an aircraft. As long-in-the-tooth safety experts tend to say: 'Tell me what sort of accident you're planning to have, and I'll tell you the safest place to sit.' As I told readers during the Q&A, the most useful contribution every passenger can make is to pay full attention to the safety briefing. Make it 'muscle memory' to know where your nearest exit is – and under no circumstances stop to collect your cabin baggage. Several readers asked whether flying is still safe, whether budget airlines cut corners, and if Boeing can still be trusted. Others asked about the world's riskiest airports and how to stay calm in the face of fear. These are important questions – and the answers matter more now than ever. Below are selected highlights from the Ask Me Anything, where I responded as directly and clearly as possible. For those who want to go deeper, you can sign up to my weekly AMA email, exclusively for Independent Premium subscribers. Sophieeeeeee A: Airports are extremely variable in the degree of challenge they present to pilots. Some in Europe and worldwide require special training. These include Innsbruck in Austria, Dubrovnik in Croatia and Funchal in Madeira. But that doesn't make them more dangerous: as with so much in aviation, providing extra training is part of designing out risk. Tragically, there is one part of the world where the terrain is difficult and where accidents happen far too frequently: Nepal. However, while the airports are extremely challenging, procedures and training should mitigate the risk. Q: How do you stay calm and realistic about flight safety? SimonL A: Look at the numbers. On that tragic Thursday, 12 June, more than 270 people lost their lives aboard Air India flight 171 and on the ground. Yet the same day, far more road users in India died in accidents. You are far safer on an aircraft than on the roads – in any part of the world – and in Europe, crashes are extraordinarily rare. Q: If I ever feel something's off during a flight, is there anything I can actually do? Jase A: Aviation has many cases in which passengers have alerted crew to a dangerous situation, and you should certainly speak up if you consider the safety of the aircraft is jeopardised. Q: Should we worry about flying on a Boeing? Colette Austin A: Boeing has made thousands of superb aircraft. I would not hesitate to fly on one of its planes. The world's safest airline (in terms of passengers carried without a fatal accident), Ryanair, flies only Boeing 737 aircraft. But in the past decade, its safety culture has been called into question. Shocking shortcomings at the plane manufacturer were exposed in the aftermath of two fatal crashes of the Boeing 737 Max. The fatally flawed design led to the temporary grounding of the aircraft worldwide, and in 2024 another incident, in which a door plug burst open at 16,000 feet, triggered further investigations. This is the first fatal accident involving the 787. Soon after it entered service in 2011, concerns over the fire risk from lithium batteries led to a temporary grounding. More than 1,000 Boeing 787 aircraft are in service with dozens of international airlines, including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, both of which have exemplary safety records. Q: Are budget airlines just as safe as the big names? Sophieeeeeee A: 'If you think safety is expensive, try having an accident' – that is the standard response to such questions, and I think it is fair. The second-safest airline worldwide, after Ryanair, is easyJet. Both are focused on keeping costs down. But safety is paramount. Q: Are there parts of the world where you'd personally think twice about flying, because of safety standards? SammyW Nepal figures disproportionately heavily in the accident statistics. But even there, you are safer in the sky than on the roads. In Iran and Russia, international sanctions mean that aircraft are not being maintained to the appropriate levels. And small airlines with old aircraft – such as those in parts of Africa – do not inspire confidence, particularly during stormy weather in tropical The European Union has a useful list of airlines that are banned from EU airspace. They include Air Zimbabwe, numerous Afghan, Iranian and Iraqi aircraft, plus carriers based in Armenia, Congo, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Nepal, Sudan, Suriname and Tanzania. These questions and answers were part of an 'Ask Me Anything' hosted by Simon Calder at 1pm BST on Wednesday, 18 June. Some of the questions and answers have been edited for this article. You can read the full discussion in the comments section of the original article.
The Sun
18-06-2025
- General
- The Sun
Breakthrough in Air India crash probe as investigators back leading theory revealed in ‘gamechanging' video of disaster
INVESTIGATORS on the Air India crash probe have backed the leading theory about what went wrong after a "game-changer" vid showed the final moments in detail. More analysts now agree that an emergency system was deployed as the plane went down. A HD video showed a "protrusion on the belly of the aircraft", with a "little grey dot" beneath it. Commentators say this is evidence of the Ram Access Turbine (RAT) deploying on the plane, which failed to climb more than 450ft. is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
I'm an aviation expert and these are the safest places to sit on a plane
Amidst the burning wreckage of Thursday's Air India disaster, which saw a passenger plane crash in the city of Ahmedabad and claim the lives of more than 260 people, there was one unexpected miracle - a sole survivor. Astonishing TV footage showed British father-of-one Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who lives in London with his wife and child and had been visiting family in India, hobbling away from the scene of the crash with visible injuries to his chest, eyes and feet. Mr Ramesh is currently the only known survivor of the accident - and being allocated seat 11A on the plane, the first seat (from left) on the fourth row of the plane, almost certainly saved his life, aviation experts have told MailOnline. From the hospital bed where he was receiving treatment for his injuries he recounted how he escaped from the wreckage before a fireball consumed it. He 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.' Aviation expert Professor John Alexander McDermid, from the University of York, told MailOnline that the British man was extremely fortunate to have been seated where he was - and being given that ticket was likely the difference between life and death. 'Did he have a better than average chance of survival because of where he was sat? The intuitive answer is yes. 'There's a bit more space around the emergency exit - and he could then get out of the aircraft quickly.' 'The front of the plane was affected more badly than the back so, in that sense, he's been very lucky. 'If he had been seated near a rear exit, it would have been easier to say that's how [he escaped]. Although there would have been a lot of good fortune in that too.' Professor McDermid said while sitting down at take-off in 11A was one factor, being able to get out quickly was another and would have come down to survival instinct: 'Get out and get away... it would have been an instinctive reaction from him.' In terms of how much time he would have had to escape, Professor McDermid said: 'I think we're talking single digits seconds. From the videos we've seen, the plane went up in flames very quickly and was carrying a full fuel load. 'At this point, just after take off, with the severity of impact, it's very likely the fuel tank or at least the fuel pipes will have ruptured on impact. 'You've then got fuel coming out onto what would be hot parts of the engine and the aircraft. It would go up in flames very quickly - within a few seconds.' Sole survivors of plane crashes are rare, but 'miracle passengers' who have emerged relatively unscathed from air accidents in recent years might suggest that sitting at the front of a plane is the safest place to be in the event of a crash. In 2020, a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320 ploughed into a residential neighbourhood in Karachi, killing all but two of the 99 passengers onboard. Just two men survived the devastating accident - and both were seated in the first eight rows of the plane. The 2020 Pakistan International Airlines crash survivors included Bank of Punjab president Zafar Masood (left), who was in seat 1C when the plane came down, and engineer Muhammad Zubair, right, who was in 8F President of the Bank of Punjab, Zafar Masud, was sitting in seat 1C, and was filmed being pulled alive from the smoking wreck - and engineer Mohammad Zubair, 24, was sitting in seat 8F. Both men suffered moderate injuries including fractures but recovered. There's also evidence that the back of the plane is the safest place to be. When a Boeing 737-800 crashed in South Korea last December after a bird strike, the only two people who survived were a pair of flight attendants seated in the very back of the plane. The two crew members, a man and a woman, were miraculously rescued from the tail section of the burning plane. All the other 179 people on board were killed. A 2015 study by Time magazine, which collected 35 years of crash data from the Federal Aviation Administration, found that the rear seats in an aircraft had a fatality rate of 32 percent while front seats had a 38 percent fatality rate. However, for those in the middle of the plane, it was only 29 percent. Aviation expert Professor McDermid told MailOnline where he considers the safest seats to be on a plane. He explains: 'Emergency exits that are over a wing are going to be better protected, they give you structural strength. The plane, carrying 181 people, crashed into a wall at at Muan International Airport in South Korea - with the survival of two cabin crew from the back of the plane branded a 'miracle 'Being near the exit near the back of an aircraft when they crash nose-first, you're going to get more absorbing of the energy of the impact at the back and stand a better chance of survival.' He said the fact airlines position their black boxes - containing vital data in the aftermath of a crash - at the back is telling. 'The black boxes, actually orange, are close to the tail of the plane, and there's a reason for that - they're much more likely to survive the impact there than anyway else.' He adds: 'It is a bit of a lottery but if there's any distribution of risk, you're better at the exits over the wing and at the back.' HOW TO SURVIVE A PLANE CRASH THINK ABOUT YOUR WARDROBE Many passengers dress to be as comfortable as possible on long flights, but doing so may not improve your chance of survival in an accident. The more of your body that is covered during an impact the better, as it reduces the injury from burns and wounds. Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants and a sturdy pair of shoes. If flying over a cold region, keep a warm jacket to hand. If flying over water, wear wool instead of cotton as the fabric keeps its insulating properties better when wet. Loose and fussy clothing is not advised as it can easily get caught when moving at speed in a confined space, like trying to rush off a plane. Avoid high heels or sandals, which can rip plane evacuation slides or leave feet vulnerable to broken glass and toxic liquids. DON'T SIT AT THE FRONT Yes, there really is a silver lining for those who find themselves in at the back of the plane. Research shows that those in the more expensive seats up front generally have the worst chance of surviving a crash. Safety experts stress that every crash is different and that there is no 'magic safe seat', but given that so many planes crash nose-first, some believe that your best chance is to sit at the back. When a Boeing 737-800 crashed in South Korea last December after a bird strike, the only two people who survived were a pair of flight attendants seated in the very back of the plane. All the other 179 people on board were killed. A 2015 study by Time magazine, which collected 35 years of crash data from the Federal Aviation Administration, found that the rear seats in an aircraft had a fatality rate of 32 percent while front seats had a 38 percent fatality rate. However, for those in the middle of the plane, it was only 29 percent. This, say experts, reflects the fact that the emergency exits over the wings are in the middle of the plane. What matters most in surviving a crash, they argue, is how quickly passengers can evacuate. NOTE THE LOCATION OF EXIT ROWS With that in mind, count the number of the rows between your seat and the closest exit row and, if necessary, write it down. If the plane crashes, in the ensuing smoke, darkness and general confusion, finding that exit could be infinitely more challenging. If you're actually sitting in an exit row, take a look at the door and understand how to open it. (A flight attendant will usually do this for you - but not if they're incapacitated.) KEEP YOUR SEATBELT ON... TIGHT This is really important. According to research, every centimeter (0.4 inches) of slack in a passenger's seat belt triples the G-Force they'll experience in a crash. A tighter seatbelt also limits how much the body flails around. Try to push the belt down your body so that it's over your pelvis rather than your stomach. The former is firmer and helps to brace you much better for impact. YOUR OXYGEN MASK BEFORE OTHERS Hollywood disaster movies love to show the hero or heroine unselfishly helping other passengers around them to put on their masks before attending to their own. Resist that urge. If the cabin loses pressure, you have only about 15 seconds at most to start breathing through your mask before you lose consciousness. Once you have your own mask on, you can help others – even after they're unconscious. WORK OUT WHERE THE PLANE WILL CRASH If you're flying above water, put your life jacket on. But don't inflate it until you're out of the plane, otherwise you could be in for all sorts of problems: if the cabin fills with water, you would float to the ceiling and it would be very difficult to swim back down and exit the plane. It might also tear during the evacuation, rendering it useless for buoyancy. If the plane is coming down in cold weather, keep a blanket or coat to hand as the aircraft descends. BRACE FOR IMPACT Having returned your seat to its upright position, make sure you shoes are securely on your feet and stow away any loose items that might fly around the cabin. There are two standard crash 'brace' positions. If you can reach the seat in front of you, lean against it, placing one hand palm-down on the seat back and crossing the other hand - also palm down - over the first hand. Rest your forehead against the backs of your hands. Sometimes, in this position, experts recommend instead lacing your fingers to cradle it as you lean your head against the seat. Alternatively, if you cannot reach the seat in front of you, lean forward and press your chest on your thighs and your head between your knees, grabbing your ankles. AVOID THE SMOKE Statistically, fire and smoke are responsible for more deaths in plane crashes than other causes. Many survivors pass out from the smoke, which on a burning aircraft can be particularly noxious. Try to cover your nose and mouth with a cloth - preferably a damp one - to avoid inhaling it. While heading towards an exit, try to stay as low as possible to duck under the smoke which is likely to be rising towards the ceiling. Look out for other passengers who remain in their seats, victims perhaps of a psychological condition known as 'negative panic' in which people cannot assert themselves in a crisis. LEAVE YOUR BELONGINGS In tests, aircraft manufacturers need to show they can evacuate a large passenger plane in 90 seconds but it often takes much longer in a real accident as so many things - from jammed doors to a passenger stampede - can go wrong. Safety experts warn survivors should not try to take their belongings with them as this will only slow them and other people down and block the aisles (and items may be salvageable later). Unfortunately, past crashes show passengers repeatedly trying to take their carry-on luggage with them, even when the plane is on fire. The bags can also easily puncture evacuation chutes. DON'T HANG AROUND Once you've exited the plane, move at least 500 ft upwind from the crash site as soon as possible. Although you don't want to go too far as you await rescuers, the plane could explode at any moment and the flames could spread far further than you imagine. The same rule holds true even if you've landed in water - swim away. Above all, say experts, when you know you are traveling in a packed plane and people all about you are losing their heads as it's about to crash, try to stay calm. Julian Bray, UK Aviation Security Expert told MailOnline that passengers shouldn't obsess over the safest seats onboard a plane, saying: 'Is one part of the plane safer than another? 'Not these are many emergency exits and many emergency chutes on board. 'I personally prefer to sit at the back of a plane but that's simply because I like to be left alone, it has nothing to do with safety.' Professor McDermid agrees that getting hung up on the safest seats is a futile exercise. He said: 'My own preference is usually an exit row - if I can get one, but you don't always have the choice. 'If you look at accidents statistics, they're incredibly unlikely - one in ten million departures - so where I sit on the plane is mostly based on comfort.'
