Latest news with #flight171
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Going beyond blame game to address fear of flying
Not a day has passed since the Air India crash in Ahmedabad when there has not been an incident involving planes—takeoffs aborted, aircraft skidding off runways, engines catching fire, flights returning to base after takeoff, cancellations, and diversions to other airports due to technical glitches have almost become routine. We also had six helicopter crashes involving pilgrims in Uttarakhand in this period, out of which two were fatal accidents. No wonder a sense of foreboding pervades the public's mind. The vivid live video of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner fireball and images of its aftermath are still haunting the imagination of the nation and the world. Though more people die in road and train accidents in India than anywhere else in the world, people are asking, 'Is it safe to fly?' This is why we have to look at the larger picture of Indian aviation today. First, of course, is Air India. The preliminary investigation report into its flight 171 crash has raised more questions than answers. It has stoked conspiracy theories and TV-presenters-on-steroids are working overtime sowing confusion. Aspersions are being cast by the pilots' association on the integrity and fairness of the probe agencies. Charges are being levelled that the truth has already been made a casualty. Given the trepidation in the air, the aviation ministry and Directorate General of Civil Aviation must do everything to earn the confidence of the public and the aviation community. They must speedily conclude the full investigation and publish the report for public knowledge. The cause of the accident must be established without fear—to learn from and avoid future disasters. For itself, Air India has to get its act together fast and earn back the reputation of its glory days during JRD Tata's charismatic leadership in the pioneering phase before independence. The airline lost its sheen and glamour after nationalisation and JRD's exit from the airline. It has had never-ending woes ever since.
New York Post
23-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Multiple families were sent the wrong bodies after Air India disaster: report
Families of UK residents killed in last month's Air India disaster have been sent the wrong bodies in repatriation blunders. The Daily Mail reports that at least two cases of mistaken identity had come to light, with one family having to abandon a funeral after being informed their coffin contained an unknown body. In another case, a coffin contained 'co-mingled' remains of more than one person killed in the flight 171 crash at Ahmedabad in western India on June 12. The scandal has sparked top-level inquiries in both the UK and India, the Mail reports, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to raise concerns with counterpart Narendra Modi this week. 5 Basit Zargar/ZUMA Press Wire / There were 52 British citizens killed among the 261 people who died after the plane lost power and crashed into a residential area soon after it lifted off to fly to London. All but one of the 242 people on board died as well as 19 people on the ground. Aviation lawyer James Healy-Pratt has been engaged to represent UK-based people impacted by the tragedy, with the remains of 12 people repatriated so far. 'I've been sitting down in the homes of these lovely British families over the last month, and the first thing they want is their loved ones back,' he told the Mail. 'But some of them have got the wrong remains and they are clearly distraught over this. 5 Getty Images 'It has been going on for a couple of weeks (and) I think these families deserve an explanation.' Healy-Pratt said the family which had received the wrong body had been left 'in limbo' since the devastating discovery was made. '(They) have no one to bury because it was the wrong person in their casket. 'And if isn't their relative, the question is, who is it in that coffin? Presumably it's another passenger and their relatives have been given the wrong remains. 'The coroner also has a problem because she has an unidentified person in her jurisdiction.' Investigations continue into how the disaster unfolded, with mounting attention on the actions of lead pilot Captain Sumeet Sabharwal. 5 AFP via Getty Images Some experts who have reviewed the initial report from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) believe a pilot on turned off two switches controlling fuel flow to the plane's engines. The first was moved three seconds after lift off and the other one second later, the AAIB report found, before being turned back on a further 10 seconds later. Fingers have been pointed at Captain Sabharwal because his younger co-pilot, Clive Kunder, would have had his 'hands full' while flying the plane. Air India's inspection of the locking feature on the fuel control switches of its existing Boeing 787 aircraft found no issues, an internal communication circulated within the airline said on July 17. 5 AFP via Getty Images India's aviation regulator ordered the country's airlines this week to investigate the locking feature on the switches of several Boeing models. The order came after Boeing notified operators that the fuel switch locks on its jets were safe. However, it was in line with a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2018, which recommended inspection of the locks to ensure they could not be moved accidentally. Air India's probe found no problems with the locking mechanism. 5 Saurabh Sirohiya/NurPhoto/Shutterstock 'Over the weekend, our Engineering team initiated precautionary inspections on the locking mechanism of Fuel Control Switch (FCS) on all our Boeing 787 aircraft,' the airline's flight operations department said in a communication to its pilots. 'The inspections have been completed and no issues were found.' A spokesperson for the UK government told the Mail formal identification of the bodies was a 'matter for the Indian authorities'. 'We understand that this is an extremely distressing time for the families, and our thoughts remain with them,' they said.
NDTV
21-07-2025
- Business
- NDTV
"Cracking Under Pressure": Raghav Chadha Flags Aviation Safety, Minister Responds
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha on Monday raised alarm over the state of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), alleging that the aviation regulator is "cracking under pressure" due to severe understaffing, underfunding, and lack of autonomy. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon Session, Mr Chadha termed the situation within the DGCA a "crisis", highlighting that 55 per cent of technical posts remain vacant in 2024. "India's civil aviation sector is booming, no doubt. But it appears that the regulator, the DGCA -- which is the backbone of the sector -- is cracking up under pressure. I say this because it is understaffed, underfunded, and lacks autonomy," Chadha said. Citing a parliamentary standing committee report, Mr Chadha said, "In the year 2024, I am not talking about overall vacancies in technical posts; there is a 55 per cent vacancy in technical posts within DGCA." He stressed the critical nature of technical roles at DGCA, which include air safety inspections, pilot licensing, passenger safety, aircraft maintenance, and airworthiness. "There is no margin of error in the sky," he warned. He urged the government to convert DGCA into a fully autonomous statutory body, similar to SEBI in the financial sector or TRAI in telecom. Mr Chadha also sought an answer as to when the vacant technical posts would be filled. Mr Chadha's remarks come in the wake of the tragic Ahmedabad plane crash involving Air India flight 171, which killed 240 people. The crash, followed by a series of technical glitches across the aviation industry, has brought aviation safety and regulatory oversight under intense scrutiny. In response, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said that the DGCA is "not under any kind of pressure" and is "operating with utmost seriousness and professionalism". "All the requirements that are there that actually strengthen it according to the international civil aviation protocol," he said. The Union Minister also mentioned that the vacant posts Chadha flagged were "recently created". "When it comes to technical posts, one needs people with the right technical capabilities to be sitting on those posts. When one looks at that kind of experience and situation, then obviously, the pool, which is limited, makes it difficult to engage with these people. These are people who are having to regulate the safety, which is of prime importance," he said, stressing that the "fundamental pillar" for the growth of the civil aviation sector has been the "safety and security of the people". He also mentioned that the ministry is making sure to take "the right people" onboard to fill up these posts. Separately, in a post on X, Mr Chadha, ahead of the Monsoon Session, also reiterated his commitment to represent public concerns in Parliament. Raised an important issue in Parliament today regarding Aircraft safety. India's civil aviation sector is booming but its regulator is cracking under pressure. The DGCA is understaffed, underfunded, and lacks the autonomy it desperately needs. Today, 55% of its Technical… — Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) July 21, 2025 "I had sought your inputs for the issues you'd like me to raise in this Parliament session. Humbled by the overwhelming response. I will do my best to make your voice heard in the House," he said. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Scottish Sun
20-07-2025
- General
- Scottish Sun
Brit survivor of Air India disaster tormented by nightmares where ‘everyone dies' and ‘won't speak' about horror crash
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AIR India's sole crash survivor has nightmares where "everyone dies," and won't speak about the horror he went through, his family said. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, walked away with cuts and chest injuries after the Boeing 787 slammed into a residential building in Ahmedabad, India. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 10 Vishwash Ramesh, the sole survivor of the Air India crash, posing for the first time since the disaster Credit: Dan Charity 10 Vishwash crawled through a hole in the wreckage and walked to an ambulance Credit: Reuters 10 Vishwash Ramesh is in a hospital a mile from where Air India flight 171 crashed Credit: HT Photo Despite being dubbed the "miracle man" and a "symbol of hope" in the country, the Brit still lies tormented by grief and survivor's guilt. His cousin Krunal Keshave, 24, from Leicester, says he manages to sleep, but not properly. He told The Sunday Times: 'When he sleeps, he dreams he is on the flight. 'He remembers seeing everyone die in front of his eyes.' Vishwash decided to stay in India to recover at his family home in Bucharwada hamlet in Diu, instead of going back to London or Leicester. He had been sitting in seat 11A, next to an emergency exit, and managed to crawl out through a hole in the twisted wreckage. His brother Ajay, 35, who was on the opposite side of the aisle in seat 11J, was among the 241 passengers who perished. 'He sees him [Ajay] everywhere,' said Keshave. 'He speaks but he doesn't speak about the crash. His wife and his son [who is four] are there with him, supporting him. Air India captain 'deliberately cut off fuel while staying eerily calm before crash 10 'He is currently trying to have a normal life, but he is not going out too much. 'He is spending time at home with the family. He was living in the house in Diu with his brother before the crash.' The miracle survivor previously told The Sun he felt "terrible" that he couldn't save his brother is racked with remorse over his death. 'Everything was visible in front of my eyes when the crash happened. 'I too thought that I was about to die, but then I opened my eyes and realised that I was still alive,' Vishwash said. 'It's a miracle I survived. I am OK physically but I feel terrible that I could not save Ajay. 'If we had been sat together we both might have survived. I tried to get two seats together but someone had already got one.' The pair had been returning to Leicester after the end of the fishing season at their family business in Diu. Their plan was simple: fly back to the UK on June 12 ahead of the monsoon. But the flight never made it. Moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport, Flight AI171 lost altitude and smashed into a medical college hostel. A total of 241 passengers and crew plus 19 people on the ground were killed in the tragedy, including 52 Brits. The crash has become one of the deadliest involving British citizens in recent memory. Investigators are now zeroing in on a chilling twist in the cockpit. 10 Vishwash walked away from the disaster with just a few cuts and chest injuries Credit: Twitter 10 Thick black smoke rising from a residential area after Air India flight 171 crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12 Credit: AFP 10 The tail of Air India flight 171 after it crashed in a residential area near the airport Credit: AFP 10 Vishwash, left, and his brother Ajaykumar Ramesh, 35, had been in India on a business trip According to flight data reviewed by US investigators, captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 56, may have manually flipped the plane's guarded fuel cut-off switches — a move aviation experts say could only have been intentional. A preliminary summary of the black-box recording reportedly captures co-pilot Clive Kunder asking, 'Why did you cut off?', to which Sabharwal eerily replies, 'I didn't.' But the switches were flipped off one second apart and then turned back on ten seconds later — too late to restart the engines. It comes after reports the captain made a haunting final remark to a security guard before leaving home on the day of the flight. In Vishwash's case, surviving has become its own form of torment. 'He feels guilty that he is the only one to have lived when everybody else, including his brother, died. It's a lot to live with,' another relative told The Sunday Times. Key findings of Air India preliminary crash report Dual engine shutdown - fuel cutoff switches moved from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' - fuel cutoff switches moved from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' Confusion between pilots - cockpit audio confirms one pilot asked 'why did you cut off', the other replied 'I didn't' - cockpit audio confirms one pilot asked 'why did you cut off', the other replied 'I didn't' RAT deployed - as seen in CCTV footage before the crash, the ram air turbine (RAT) which acts as a backup power source in case of emergencies had deployed - as seen in CCTV footage before the crash, the ram air turbine (RAT) which acts as a backup power source in case of emergencies had deployed Engine relight attempted - fuel switches were found returned to 'RUN' at crash site - fuel switches were found returned to 'RUN' at crash site 32 seconds - the time the aircraft was airborne before it crashed the time the aircraft was airborne before it crashed Thrust levers mismatch - Thrust levers found at idle but black box data shows takeoff thrust was still engaged - Thrust levers found at idle but black box data shows takeoff thrust was still engaged Fuel test pass - fuel was clean without any contamination - fuel was clean without any contamination Normal take-off set-up - Flaps and landing gear correctly configured - Flaps and landing gear correctly configured No bird activity - clear skies, good visibility, light winds - clear skies, good visibility, light winds Pilot credentials clear - both medically fit and rested - both medically fit and rested No sabotage detected - although FAA alerted over a known fuel switch vulnerability not checked by Air India - although FAA alerted over a known fuel switch vulnerability not checked by Air India Aircraft loading - the flight was within weight and balance limits After escaping the burning wreckage, Vishwash reportedly attempted to go back to save his brother. 'My family member is in there, my brother and he's burning to death. I have to save him,' he pleaded with emergency workers. Rescuer Satinder Singh Sandhu recalled: 'He was very disoriented and shocked and was limping. 'There was also blood on his face, but he was able to speak. 'He told the paramedics that he was flying to London when the plane fell and that he wanted to go back to save his family.' Doctors who treated him at Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital said he was stable despite his physical wounds. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited him during his five-day stay in hospital before he was discharged and returned home. Vishwash has since returned to the family's coastal village of Diu, where he is trying to recover with the support of his wife Hiral, their young son, and his extended family. 10 India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) meeting with Vishwash Kumar Ramesh at a hospital in Ahmedabad Credit: AFP
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Air India captain's eerie words to his first officer before doomed jet crashed killing 260 'are revealed in black box recording'
The captain of Air India Flight 171, which crashed in Ahmedabad killing 241 people on board last month, entrusted his first officer with the plane before takeoff, sources have claimed, citing the black boxes recovered from the crash. 'The plane is in your hands,' Captain Sumeet Sabharwal allegedly told First Officer Clive Kunder, two Western sources familiar with the contents of the recordings told Corriere della Sera. The sources said it was not unusual for the captain of a flight to yield the controls to a first officer during takeoff. The plane left the ground at 1:38:39pm and remained airborne for about 30 seconds before losing power and crashing into a residential area. Mr Kunder was at the controls of the Boeing 787 and asked the captain why he moved the fuel switches into a position that starved the engines of fuel, a source briefed on U.S. officials' early assessment told Reuters. He was said to have requested that he restore the fuel flow before the crash. 'Why did you shut off the engines?' Mr Kunder asked the senior pilot, according to Corriere's sources. Another microphone recorded a 'vague' denial: 'I didn't do it'. The outlet reports that Mr Kunder was 'unconvinced' and asked the same question 'several more times' over a further six seconds. A preliminary report released by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Saturday confirmed that the fuel switches had switched from 'run' to 'cutoff' just after takeoff -- but did not say how they were moved. The report also said one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel and 'the other pilot responded that he did not do so.' Investigators did not identify which remarks were made by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and which by First Officer Clive Kunder, who had total flying experience of 15,638 hours and 3,403 hours, respectively. There was no cockpit video recording definitively showing which pilot flipped the switches, but the weight of evidence from the conversation points to the captain, according to the early assessment by U.S. officials. The plane momentarily disappeared from view behind trees and buildings before a massive fireball erupted on the horizon in this horrifying clip The Wall Street Journal first reported similar information on Wednesday about the world's deadliest aviation accident in a decade. Citing U.S. pilots familiar with the AAIB report, the outlet reported that 'as the pilot actively flying, [First Officer] Kunder likely would have had his hands full pulling back on the Dreamliner's controls at that stage of the flight'. 'Sabharwal, as the pilot monitoring, would have been more likely to have had his hands free as he oversaw the operation.' According to the report, the switches were apparently moved in succession, one second apart, before both were turned back on about 10 seconds later. The movement of the fuel control switches allows and cuts fuel flow to the plane's engines. The report did not say how the switches could have flipped to the cutoff position during the flight. The switches' 'locking feature' meant pilots had to lift them up before changing their position - they are not simple push buttons that can be accidentally turned off. Almost immediately after the plane lifted off the ground, closed-circuit TV footage showed a backup energy source called a ram air turbine (RAT) had deployed, indicating a loss of power from the engines. The London-bound plane began to lose thrust, and after reaching a height of 650 feet, the jet started to sink. The fuel switches for both engines were indeed turned back to 'run', and the airplane automatically tried restarting the engines, the report said. But the plane could not gain power quickly enough to stop its descent. The report stated: 'One of the pilots transmitted "MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY"'. The plane clipped some trees and a chimney before crashing in a fireball into a building on a nearby medical college campus, the report said, killing 19 people on the ground and 241 of the 242 on board. Both fuel switches were found in the run position at the crash site. Aviation expert and former airline pilot Terry Tozer said the engine cutoff switches being switched to off only seconds after takeoff was 'absolutely bizarre.' 'Unfortunately, the altitude was so low that the engines were only beginning to recover and they didn´t have enough time,' Tozer told Sky News. India 's civil aviation minister, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, said the report´s findings were preliminary and one should not 'jump into any conclusions on this.' 'Let us wait for the final report,' Naidu told reporters. Investigators are said to be looking at the medical records of the pilots as part of their probe. Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a leading aviation safety expert in India, claimed that one of the pilots had suffered with their mental health, citing other Air India pilots. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, he claimed: 'He had taken time off from flying in the last three to four years. He had taken medical leave for that.' Captain Sabharwal is also understood to have taken bereavement leave after the death of his mother, though Mr Ranganathan understands that he had been 'medically cleared' by Air India prior to the fatal crash last month. Air India, in a statement, said it is fully cooperating with authorities investigating the crash. A final report is expected within a year. In an internal memo on Monday, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the preliminary report found no mechanical or maintenance faults and that all required maintenance had been carried out. Wilson also urged the airline's staff to avoid drawing premature conclusions about the crash. The AAIB's preliminary report had no safety recommendations for Boeing or engine manufacturer GE. The AAIB, which is leading the investigation, said in a statement on Thursday that 'certain sections of the international media are repeatedly attempting to draw conclusions through selective and unverified reporting.' It added the investigation was ongoing and it remained too early to draw definitive conclusions. Most air crashes are caused by multiple factors, and under international rules, a final report is expected within a year of an accident. The plane´s black boxes - combined cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders - were recovered in the days following the crash and later downloaded in India. Indian authorities had also ordered deeper checks of Air India´s entire Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet to prevent future incidents. Air India has 33 Dreamliners in its fleet.
