A year after Air India Flight 171 to London crashed into a medical college campus shortly after takeoff from the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, killing 260 people, investigators are still unsure why one of the world’s most advanced passenger jets plummeted from the sky.
On the first anniversary of the accident, India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) issued a brief update on Friday, stating that an analysis of flight recorder data, aircraft systems, engine components, maintenance records, and human factors is still ongoing.
A preliminary assessment published last July discovered that seconds after takeoff, the 12-year-old Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s fuel-control switches abruptly changed to the “cut-off” position, starving both engines of fuel and causing catastrophic power failure.
Why cockpit audio deepens the riddle of the Air India crash.
Cockpit audio captured one pilot asking the other why he had done it, only to hear the response: “I did not.” Investigators were unable to identify either voice, but many experts believed the exchange indicated deliberate action in the cockpit.
While takeoff and landing are the most dangerous phases of flight, fatal incidents shortly after takeoff are rare. Boeing discovered that between 2004 and 2013, only 14% of global airplane crashes happened during takeoff and initial rise; Airbus estimates the ratio at around 5%.
Also Read:
Top Democrats Attempt to Persuade Europe That Trump will Leave Office in Three Years
Peter Duliba: Empowering Businesses for Strategic AI Usage – Europeanmirror
