What Could Have Caused the AI-171 Plane Crash in Ahmedabad?

New Delhi, June 13 (NationPress) Amidst increasing calls for strict action against Air India officials and comprehensive safety evaluations of all Boeing aircraft, the Federation of Indian Pilots Association has expressed its support for the Dreamliner pilots, including Captain Sumit Sabharwal, who boasts over 8,000 hours of flying experience.

The Pilots Association has shared its analysis regarding the potential causes behind the tragic Flight AI-171 crash, which claimed the lives of 241 individuals on board.

C.S. Randhawa, President of the Federation of Indian Pilots Association, communicated with IANS, outlining various potential factors that could have led to the disastrous incident, such as bird strikes, dual engine failure, landing gear issues, and loss of lift.

He noted that while the notion of both engines failing is alarming, it is an exceedingly rare occurrence.

“Ahmedabad is notorious for its high bird activity. A bird strike that affects both engines could lead to them overheating or ceasing to function,” he explained.

Delving deeper into the investigation, he continued: “The second scenario is that the aircraft originated from Delhi. At high altitudes, an aircraft's wings cool down. These wings hold fuel, and water droplets can form from the cold, potentially contaminating the fuel. The aircraft was refueled in Ahmedabad before its next leg. Engineers perform fuel tests to check for water contamination or other impurities, and this would have been conducted. The aircraft was fully operational and ready for flight, thus eliminating the possibility of sabotage or technical malfunction.”

Randhawa also mentioned that he reviewed the CCTV footage of the takeoff and subsequent crash numerous times to piece together the events surrounding the incident.

“The landing gear appeared to be deployed from takeoff until the crash. An aircraft experiences four forces: lift, weight, thrust, and drag. If the landing gear remains down, it creates substantial drag. It seems that drag was present because the gear was not retracted. Typically, during takeoff, we utilize flap 5 on the 787; at performance-limited airports, we use flap 15. Ultimately, the flaps did not seem to be deployed. The aircraft appeared to gain altitude – approximately 350 to 400 feet. Based on the video, I observed that the landing gear was not raised. Could it be that the crew forgot to retract the gear? Perhaps the captain activated the autopilot and then instructed the gear to be raised,” he elaborated.

“In this process, the co-pilot may have inadvertently raised the flaps, which could lead to a loss of lift, a situation that seems to have occurred,” he further assessed.

C.S. Randhawa also praised Captain Sumit Sabharwal, stating that he has known him since 2003-2004 when he trained under him.