Latest news with #ontheHudson
Time of India
16-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Air India Crash: Did an electrical failure doom the Dreamliner as both engines failed mid-air?
Three days after the deadly crash of the Air India Express Dreamliner in Ahmedabad—an accident that killed 272 people—the aviation world is still grappling with one burning question: what caused a modern, twin-engine jet to stall and crash just 32 seconds after take-off began? The lone survivor and another pilot on the ground reported hearing a loud boom during take-off, leading experts to suspect a possible engine failure, reported TOI. While losing one engine isn't usually disastrous—modern jets can safely take off, climb, and return on a single engine—what followed defies the norm. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Jesus' Tomb Is Opened And Scientists Find Something Unbelievable Novelodge Did the second engine also fail? If not, what else could have triggered the sudden crash? A rare and puzzling event Live Events Twin-engine failures are extremely rare—only seven such cases have been recorded globally in over 70 years. Past causes include bird strikes (like the "Miracle on the Hudson" in 2009), shutting down the wrong engine (as with British Midland in 1989), or fuel contamination. But in this case, a bird strike has already been ruled out, noted the report. What makes this crash particularly unusual is the aircraft involved: the Boeing 787 Dreamliner—a "more-electric" jet designed to save fuel and reduce maintenance by replacing many traditional systems with electric ones. This shift makes the ongoing investigation unprecedented. Is this a one-off glitch, or does it expose a design flaw in one of the world's most advanced planes? According to the news outlet, a senior 787 pilot said it's likely one engine partially or completely shut down after the boom. But with one engine still working, why didn't the aircraft climb and return? One theory is that the pilots were startled by the sound and forgot to retract the landing gear, increasing drag. Another suggests that the co-pilot may have mistakenly retracted the wing flaps instead of the landing gear—though even that shouldn't have been fatal with one engine still functioning. Did the plane lose all power? Some senior pilots believe both engines failed moments after lift-off, which would explain why the landing gear was never retracted, TOI noted. One possible cause: failure of Variable Frequency Starter Generators (VFSGs)—key components that provide electric power and start the engines. If they failed, they could have knocked out the Electronic Engine Controls (EECs), essentially the jet's "throttle computers." Without them, the engines may have dropped to idle power, leaving the pilots unable to increase thrust. Worse, if both engines and the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) were disconnected from the electrical system, the EECs would stop working altogether. While APU can act as a backup, it takes about 90 seconds to spool up and provide support—far more time than the 32 seconds the plane had before crashing. In short: even if pilots called for help, there wasn't enough time for backup systems to kick in. Interestingly, there's some speculation that the Ram Air Turbine (RAT)—a small emergency wind turbine that pops out to provide basic power—was deployed. Some pilots say a dark blur in crash footage could be the RAT, which would only appear if all main power sources had failed. Unlike the APU, though, the RAT doesn't produce enough power to safely fly or land a plane—only to operate bare-minimum systems. Weight, thrust, and possible mistakes Other theories focus on human error and aircraft weight. Captain Amit Singh, an air safety expert, suspects the aircraft may have been overloaded—possibly with cargo. TOI further reported that if the actual weight was more than what the pilots had entered into the system, it could explain the longer take-off roll and why the plane couldn't maintain altitude after losing an engine. Another senior pilot speculated that the crew might have mistakenly entered only the aircraft's "zero fuel weight"—excluding the 50–60 tons of fuel onboard. That would have led to lower thrust settings during take-off, which, when paired with an engine failure, could have proved disastrous. But others pushed back on that idea. A B787 commander argued that the aircraft's weight sensors—linked to the landing gear—would have alerted the pilots if their inputs were significantly off. Regardless, one fact appears increasingly clear: at least one of the two engines wasn't producing thrust when the plane hit the ground. Photos from the crash site show no fan blade damage or casing breaches on one engine, which experts say suggests it was either shut down, flamed out, or idling. Some have floated the idea that the wrong engine was shut down—but that action typically happens at around 400 feet of altitude, and the plane never got that high. What's next? The investigation is now focusing on the electrical systems and engine response—especially the role of the VFSGs, EECs, and whether the APU had time to engage. Sabotage has already been ruled out by the National Security Guard, shifting attention to potential maintenance lapses and design vulnerabilities. The Dreamliner is packed with cutting-edge tech, including: Four Variable Frequency Starter Generators (VFSGs) on the engines Two APU Starter Generators (ASGs) for emergency backup A Ram Air Turbine (RAT) for last-resort power Two lithium-ion batteries, including one for backup flight controls If the cause turns out to be a systems glitch or design weakness, this crash could reshape how these high-tech aircraft are flown and maintained worldwide
The Independent
26-02-2025
- General
- The Independent
What is a bird strike? How concerned you need to be when flying
As climate change shifts migratory patterns and bird populations grow, the problem posed by birds for airlines, pilots and passengers is becoming more visible. On 30 December 2024, 179 passengers lost their lives when a Jeju Air flight crashed in South Korea following a suspected 'bird strike'. A preliminary investigation released last month confirmed that bird strikes played a role in the fatal crash, with feathers and blood stains from Baikal teals, a migratory duck species, found in both engines of the Boeing 737-800. The deadly incident was not the first time an aircraft has crashed following a collision with a bird. In 2009, US Airways flight 1549 famously landed on the Hudson River following a collision with a flock of geese migrating through the airspace at a low altitude. The flock took out both engines during the"Miracle on the Hudson" incident that was, fortunately, survived by all 155 passengers and crew onboard. With efforts to prevent collisions between birds and aircraft including a frozen chicken cannon, long grass and a Tina Turner playlist, here is everything prospective flyers need to know about bird strikes. What is a bird strike? A bird strike is a collision between a bird or airborne animal and an aircraft. Bird strikes can cause significant damage to aircraft, with a risk of jet engines losing power should they suck in a bird. Struck aircraft will often need to abort their take-off or landing attempts, which can be costly for airlines and their passengers. How often do bird strikes happen? Bird strikes are common in the aviation industry and are most likely to occur during takeoff, landing or near airports. Globally, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) estimates that there were just shy of 300,000 'wildlife strikes' between 1990 and 2022. According to the latest Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) figures, there were 1,432 recorded bird strikes in the UK in 2022. The CAA recorded an average rate of 256 bird strikes per 10,000 aircraft movements in July of the same year. In 2021, a paper in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences estimated that there are at least 50 billion wild birds worldwide. The more aircraft movements in an area, the higher the risk of a bird strike. Bird strike remains, known as 'snarge' are sent to the Smithsonian Institution's Feather Identification Laboratory and a lab in York to be correctly identified following collisions in the US and UK. Of the species hit, the CAA found that the most common collisions were between aircraft and gulls, wood pigeons, pigeons and skylarks. Are bird strikes dangerous? It is very rare for a bird strike to be linked with fatalities, and in the majority of collisions, aircraft land safely with very little damage. Of over 1,400 strikes recorded in 2022, only 45 caused aircraft damage, with just 28 resulting in a flight return or diversion. Generally, a bird strike will be far worse for the birds involved than for passengers and the aircraft. However, bird strikes have caused several human casualties during aviation accidents when aircraft structures, including the cockpit windscreen, have been severely damaged or an engine has lost power. According to the FAA, between 1988 and 2023, 76 people died in the US after planes collided with wildlife. Birds that weigh over four pounds or an encounter with a flock are far more likely to cause damage to an aircraft than a singular bird. How do airlines prepare for bird strikes? Bird strikes can have a huge impact on an airline's operations – at great cost. Commercial jet engines undergo intense testing before they are allowed to operate, with planes designed to be able to operate with just one engine. Most are also required to be able to withstand an impact with a bird that weighs four pounds. This was originally tested by having frozen chickens fired at all aircraft engines from a gas cannon. Now, simulators and dummy carcasses tend to test the capacity of engines and the resistance of aircraft windshields. Pilots are also instructed to avoid migratory flight paths and reach a higher altitude quickly when operating in areas where bird strikes are common. How do airports prevent bird strikes? Many airports are surrounded by wide open areas, forests and wetlands – but the environment around aviation hubs is tightly controlled. Bird preventative measures often include the management of local waste disposal sites and keeping the grass long, while flare guns, dogs and lasers are deployed as bird-scaring tactics. As investigations continue into the cause of the Jeju Air crash in December, all airports in South Korea have been ordered to install bird detection cameras and thermal imaging radars. At some airports, including Bristol, designated staff members blast the sound of bird species in distress in an auditory repellent to nearby birds. In 2012, airport chiefs at Staverton, near Gloucester, played Tina Turner hits at high volume from a van that drives around the ground when the bird distress noises 'weren't working properly'. More severely, after the Hudson incident, around 70,000 birds were controversially culled in New York, with all the geese rounded up from Prospect Park, taken to a hanger and gassed.
