Investigators have received initial indications in Air India flight AI-171’s crash case on 12 June from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. According to sources, only a few seconds after the takeoff, the main electrical system (power system) of the aircraft stopped working, causing it to reach a height of just 625 feet and then hit a medical hostel building. However, the real reason will be known only after the decode of the black box data is decoded, but assessment of the debris patterns, the ATC report and the takeoff videos, assessment of the aircraft’s main electrical system within a few seconds of the flying, indicate the failure of the aircraft.
What happened after takeoff?
Air Traffic Control (ATC) report, video footage and debris patterns suggest that as soon as the aircraft took off, its power system stopped working in a few seconds. Because of this, neither the aircraft could achieve height nor got a chance to activate backup system like Ram Air Turbine (RAT), which only works when the aircraft has reached minimal altitude.
Black box will be sent abroad?
Some media reports claimed that the black box (CVR/DFDR) of the flight is being sent abroad. However, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has clarified the situation regarding this, “Where the flight recorder will be decoded, it will decide the AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau) taking into account technical, security and privacy.”
Pilots are not at fault, the aircraft left together
According to the report by The Indian Express, an investigation official said that the initial investigation did not show any lapse of the pilot. When the power failed, the pilots tried to control the aircraft manually, but the height was so low that no recovery could be possible. If the aircraft had reached from 3,600 to 4,900 feet, the situation could have been different.
Doubt on technical log and fuel system
Now investigators are investigating the last 24–48 hours of technical records, maintenance logs, and crew reports. It is learned that a day before the accident, the aircraft had completed routes like Delhi-Paris and Delhi-Tokyo. It is being investigated whether a crew had reported an eCAM alert, a jerk in the engine, or the sensor disturbances.
Was water mixed in the fuel of the aircraft?
There have been no indications of the conspiracy, but now it is also being investigated whether there was water or any kind of disturbance in the fuel system. If this happens, it can fail power during the flight due to blockage or rust in the fuel tank. Experts have collected samples for chemical examination from fuel tanks and delivery systems debris.
2020 Gatwick accidental similarities
The investigators are comparing the incident from an incident at the London Gatwick Airport in February 2020, where the Airbus A321 was a victim of a double engine after the takeoff. The only difference was that the aircraft had reached a height of 3,580 feet, due to which he was able to give the Mayday call safe.
Do not leave any evidence
In the 2020 incident, the report of technical disturbances was earlier in flights, but was ignored. It is now being seen whether any earlier signal was ignored in the AI-171 flight.
First crashed Boeing 787 Dreamlineer
This is the first known accident for a flight with modern and multi-backup systems like Boeing 787 Dreamlineer. The aircraft has the ability to work on manual mode even after flying on a single engine, dual hydraulic failure, but according to the official, it was not possible to activate such a heavy system by reaching a height of 625 feet.
Big questions and deep investigations
The incident has raised serious questions on fuel quality, last minute maintenance checking, and pre-flight inspection protocol. Investigators are not ignoring any apprehension, as the fall of trusted aircraft like 787 is a major warning in itself.
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