Latest news with #ATC
News18
10 hours ago
- General
- News18
Power Failure Behind Ahmedabad Air India Crash? What Investigators Are Learning
Last Updated: Early findings suggest the aircraft may have suffered a power failure seconds after liftoff, but officials stress that the final cause will depend on black box data Officials familiar with the investigation into the June 12 crash of Air India flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick suspect a sudden power failure shortly after takeoff may have brought down the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which crashed into a medical hostel building after gaining an altitude of only 625 feet. While the final cause will be known only after black box data is decoded, initial visual assessments, including wreckage patterns, ATC reports, and takeoff videos, point to a failure of the aircraft's main electrical system within seconds of liftoff. The aircraft did not reach the minimum altitude required to execute an emergency turnaround or make use of its Ram Air Turbine (RAT), a backup system designed to power critical functions in case of total electrical loss. The black boxes — Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) — have been recovered and are currently in the safe custody of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu confirmed on Thursday. He said the investigation is progressing with full support from local authorities, and that key recovery work, including site documentation and evidence collection, has been completed, with further analysis now underway. In response to reports suggesting the black boxes were being sent abroad, the Ministry of Civil Aviation clarified that no final decision has been made. 'It has been reported in certain media outlets that the CVR/DFDR (black box) from the ill-fated AI171 flight is being sent abroad for retrieval and analysis… the decision regarding the location for decoding the flight recorders will be taken by the AAIB after due assessment of all technical, safety, and security considerations," the ministry said in a statement. According to a report in The Indian Express, an officer aware of the ongoing investigation said that early findings do not suggest cockpit error. Based on initial observations, the pilots are believed to have attempted to gain manual control using the Dreamliner's reversionary systems, but the lack of altitude left little room for recovery. The aircraft had reportedly pitched up for liftoff when the power failure occurred, but failed to climb beyond 625 feet — far below the safe path minimum of 3,600 feet. The officer further said that had the aircraft achieved an elevation of around 3,600 to 4,900 feet, the RAT might have been able to help sustain a glide or enable a Mayday return. Instead, the aircraft dropped sharply, with the impact separating the tail section due to its elevated nose position at the time of the crash. Investigators are now closely examining the aircraft's technical logs and maintenance records from the 24 to 48 hours before the crash. The aircraft had flown a round trip from Delhi to Paris on June 11-12 and had earlier completed a Delhi-Tokyo-Delhi sector. Officials are checking whether any crew or ground engineers reported anomalies, including ECAM (Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor) messages, engine thrust issues, or unusual sensor readouts. While sabotage has not been indicated, investigators are examining whether fuel contamination—such as water in the fuel—could have contributed to the suspected power failure. According to The Indian Express, the officer said this scenario may be a leading explanation if no direct technical fault (mechanical or electrical) is found. Water in aviation fuel is a known cause of power loss and may remain undetected until the aircraft is airborne, especially if it leads to corrosion or clogging in the fuel system. Chemical analysis of the wreckage, especially around the fuel tanks and delivery systems, is underway to identify any unusual chemical traces, impurities, or signs of corrosion. Forensic engineers have collected debris samples for lab testing, but much of the fuel system was damaged in the explosion and fire. Comparisons are also being drawn with a February 2020 incident at London's Gatwick Airport, where an Airbus A321 suffered dual engine failure shortly after takeoff. That aircraft returned safely to the airport after declaring Mayday thrice, but only because it had climbed to nearly 3,580 feet, investigators said. The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), which is now in Ahmedabad to assist with the AI-171 probe, had concluded in the 2020 case that the failure was caused by fuel system contamination. Notably, engineers had found no faults in the aircraft before it was cleared to fly that night. As per The Indian Express, the officer pointed out that the Gatwick aircraft had shown signs of engine trouble on three previous flights. These included multiple attempts to start one engine and in-flight stalling messages. However, engineers had not conducted an extensive follow-up examination, resulting in the failure being missed. Investigators are now checking whether any such signs were overlooked in the case of AI-171. The Ahmedabad crash is the first known accident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a modern aircraft known for its fly-by-wire systems and backup electrical configurations. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is designed to continue flight on a single engine and can operate on manual reversion in case of dual hydraulic failure — standard capabilities for the aircraft type. However, according to the officer cited by The Indian Express, the crash altitude was too low for any of these backup systems to be effectively deployed. The crash has raised serious questions around last-mile maintenance checks, fuel quality verification, and pre-flight inspection protocols. While a final conclusion will depend on flight data and chemical forensics, investigators are 'leaving nothing to chance" given the rarity of a failure involving the 787 platform.
Express Tribune
18 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Courts sentence multiple offenders
The Anti-Terrorism and Sessions Courts in Rawalpindi district on Thursday awarded strict punishments to convicts involved in cases of explosives recovery, murder, and narcotics trafficking. In a major decision, special Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Amjad Ali Shah sentenced five individuals to a combined 65 years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs500,000 each in a case concerning the possession of explosive materials. The court also ordered the confiscation of all movable and immovable properties of the convicts. The case, registered by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on September 12, 2023, named Abdul Rashid, Rizwanullah, Luqman Khan, Wahid Khan, and Irfanullah as the accused. In the event of non-payment of fines, each convict will serve an additional six months in prison. The court awarded seven years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 5 of the Explosives Act, three years and a fine of Rs50,000 under Section 11-F(6) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, and three years and another Rs50,000 fine under Section 11-W of the Anti-Terrorism Act. The time already spent in custody will be counted as part of their sentence. Following the ruling, all five convicts were transferred to Adiala Jail. In a separate murder case, Additional District and Sessions Judge Rai Afzal Hussain Kharal sentenced Zafar Mehmood to death and imposed a fine of Rs1m for the murder of a young man, Abdul Karim, over a property dispute in Gujjar Khan. The case was registered on March 13, 2010, after which the convict fled and remained at large until his arrest last year. Additionally, in two separate narcotics smuggling cases, the court sentenced two individuals to a total of 18 years of imprisonment and imposed fines totalling Rs160,000. Muhammad Akhtar, arrested with 1,600 grams of narcotics from Dhamyal, was sentenced to nine years and fined Rs80,000. Khial Muhammad, arrested with 1,400 grams of narcotics from the Saddar Wah area, also received a 9-year sentence and a fine of Rs80,000. All three convicts were also shifted to Adiala Jail following their sentencing.
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Time of India
Tech snags delay 2 flights to Northeast from Kolkata
1 2 Kolkata: Two IndiGo flights from Kolkata to Northeast were delayed following technical snags on Thursday. IndiGo flight 6E 487, carrying 155 passengers, from Kolkata to Silchar returned to the ramp on Thursday morning following a technical snag in the Airbus A320 aircraft. The aircraft pushed back from stand 48 at 6.44 am, ahead of its scheduled departure at 6.55 am. However, while taxiing, the crew reported a snag and returned to stand 48 at 7.17 am. The passengers were returned to the terminal and were put into a separate aircraft, which flew out of Kolkata at 9.38 am. It landed in Silchar at 10.27 am. Another IndiGo flight, 6E 6068, headed to Agartala from Kolkata, suffered a technical glitch and had to return from the runway on Thursday morning. The flight was about to take off at 9.45am and was approaching the runway from the taxi bay when the glitch was spotted, and the pilot informed the Air Traffic Control (ATC). The plane was turned back to the bay. The aircraft departed for Agartala after around 40 minutes and reached Agartala at 11.20 am.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Indian-American professor slammed for blaming 'reservation' for Air India crash: 'Freeloaders are more important'
Indian-American professor Dr Rajeshwari Iyer triggered a social media storm, blaming 'reservation' behind the that killed at least 265 people, including those on board and also those on the ground. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Sharing a recruitment notice of the Airports Authority of India for the post of Air Traffic Control, the Indian-origin professor argued that in India, safety is not as important as "freeloaders". "In India, freeloaders are more important than Safety. Including Indian Citizens we lose many British citizens too, 241 died in plane crash. What a pathetic system," she wrote. While many users supported her observation, many pointed out how Indian-origin people in America are jumping to conclusions about the crash. Indian-origin businessman, Hotmail co-founder, Sabeer Bhatia also made insensitive comments about people grieving for the Air India crash victims and also defended that comment. "The crash happened due to malfunctions in Boeing Dreamliner which is manufactured by USA company due to loss of thrust. There is no fault of crew. So chill a bit before farming," one wrote, reacting to Dr Iyer's reservation post. "Firstly, it's too early to conclude anything. Also, desperately wish where one day such brilliant migrants and naturalised citizens of other 'first world' nations ( whether through parents or self) like yourself, fix the flaws of this young Indian democracy and work towards ensuring that it comes out of years of colonial and outdated ideas and depredations," another wrote. Some X users dug up Brahmin named behind accidents in India and slammed her for connecting the crash with caste, and also to the ATC, as there has been no report on ATC's involvement know the crash. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In the aftermath of the incident, Air India reduced its international services on wide-body aircraft by 15 per cent for the next few weeks. The decision has been taken to add to the airlines' reserve aircraft availability to take care of any unplanned disruptions and this will continue until at least mid-July.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
AI's Bali-Delhi flight lands in Varanasi due to bad weather
Varanasi: An Air India flight AI 2146 from Bali to Delhi was diverted due to bad weather and made an emergency landing at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi late Tuesday afternoon. After standing on the strip with 187 passengers on board for over two hours, it left for Delhi, said Puneet Gupta, director of the Varanasi airport, on Wednesday, adding that the flight was from Denpasar, Indonesia to Delhi. After receiving clearance from ATC, the diverted flight landed at Varanasi Airport at 4.20 pm. Approximately two hours later, when weather in Delhi improved, the flight was granted permission to take off at 7pm. On Tuesday, before the flight reached Delhi, weather conditions worsened and the aircraft with 187 passengers on board, including three children, was diverted, even as the pilot contacted ATC at Varanasi airport for landing at an alternate airport. The flight departed from the Denpasar International Airport in Bali, Indonesia at 10.30 am (local time) and was to land at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, around 2.30 pm. According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, the Airbus A321 plane landed in Varanasi instead of Delhi. The flight was near the Delhi-UP border when it was diverted to Varanasi, it showed.
