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The Air India crash in Ahmedabad, which tragically claimed the lives of nearly everyone onboard and several on the ground, continues to be a subject of intense scrutiny and investigation. While the official inquiry led by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is ongoing, Air India pilots have undertaken their own simulation of the accident in an effort to identify potential causes. This independent investigation, though unofficial, has yielded insights that point towards a possible technical malfunction as a contributing factor to the disaster. The Bloomberg report citing anonymous sources, suggests that the pilots re-enacted the flight parameters of the ill-fated AI 171 jet in a flight simulator. The initial simulation focused on the configuration of the landing gear and wing flaps, two critical components during takeoff and landing. The pilots simulated a scenario where the landing gear was deployed and the wing flaps were retracted. However, the results of this particular simulation indicated that these configurations alone would not have been sufficient to cause a crash of the magnitude witnessed. This finding led the pilots to explore other potential scenarios and technical issues that might have contributed to the accident. The importance of the wing flaps lies in their ability to provide extra lift during the critical phases of takeoff and landing, when the aircraft is moving at slower speeds. The wreckage of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner showed that the flaps were in an extended position, contrary to the initial speculation that they were retracted. This observation further complicated the investigation, as it suggested that the flaps were functioning as intended, at least at the point of impact. Air India has maintained a cautious stance, declining to comment directly on the findings of the simulation. An Air India spokesperson told India Today that the information was speculative and that the airline would not be able to provide any comments at that time. This reluctance to comment is understandable, given the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation and the potential legal implications of making premature statements about the cause of the crash.
The crash of the London-bound aircraft into a medical college campus within seconds of takeoff resulted in a devastating loss of life, with all but one of the 242 passengers and crew members perishing, along with 34 individuals on the ground. The sheer scale of the tragedy has underscored the urgency and importance of determining the root cause of the accident. The unofficial simulation, along with various expert analyses, has reinforced the hypothesis of technical failure as a potential explanation for the crash. This technical failure angle has gained further traction with the analysis of the aircraft's engines and control systems. One prominent aviation expert, Captain Steve Scheibner, a former US Navy pilot, has proposed that dual engine failure might have been a significant contributing factor to the accident. In an interview with India Today, Captain Scheibner pointed to the deployment of the ram air turbine (RAT) shortly after takeoff as evidence of a possible dual engine failure. The RAT is a small turbine that is deployed to provide emergency power to the aircraft's systems in the event of a complete loss of engine power. Its deployment suggests that both engines had simultaneously failed, leaving the pilots with limited control over the aircraft. The Air India pilots' analysis of the crash footage also revealed that the landing gear was partially tilted forward, suggesting that the retraction sequence of the wheels had been initiated. However, the landing-gear doors had not opened, which, according to the pilots, indicated that the aircraft experienced a loss of power or a hydraulic failure. This further supports the theory of engine-related issues, as the hydraulic systems are typically powered by the engines. The simultaneous loss of power to both engines would have created a catastrophic situation, leaving the pilots with little time to react and potentially leading to the crash.
The official investigation by the AAIB is focused on analyzing the data from the black boxes of the doomed Air India aircraft. This analysis is being conducted at the AAIB's laboratory in Delhi, where investigators are meticulously examining the flight data recorder (FDR) and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR). The FDR contains a wealth of information about the aircraft's performance, including its speed, altitude, engine parameters, and control surface positions. The CVR, on the other hand, records the conversations between the pilots and air traffic control, providing valuable insights into the events leading up to the crash. By carefully analyzing the data from the black boxes, the AAIB hopes to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the accident and to determine the precise cause of the engine failure. The investigation will also consider factors such as weather conditions, maintenance records, and pilot training to identify any potential contributing factors. The AAIB's investigation is expected to be a lengthy and complex process, requiring the expertise of various specialists in aviation safety and accident investigation. Once the investigation is complete, the AAIB will publish a report detailing its findings and recommendations for preventing similar accidents in the future. The report will be crucial for improving aviation safety standards and ensuring the safety of passengers and crew on Air India flights. The tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad serves as a stark reminder of the inherent risks associated with air travel. While aviation is statistically one of the safest modes of transportation, accidents can and do occur, often with devastating consequences. The ongoing investigation into the crash is a critical step in understanding what went wrong and in preventing similar tragedies from happening again. The findings of the AAIB and the insights from the independent simulations conducted by Air India pilots will be essential for improving aviation safety and ensuring the continued safety of air travel.
Source: Air India crash: What led to Ahmedabad crash? Pilots simulate accident