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First Post
12 hours ago
- General
- First Post
Air India crash: Cockpit error or fuel system contamination, what brought AI71 down? Probe looks at 2020 UK mishap
The 2020 incident, which involved an Airbus A321, saw the plane's both engines malfunction shortly after take-off. Fortunately, the plane had gained an altitude of almost 3580 feet and was able to make the roundabout read more This handout taken and posted on the X (formerly Twitter) account of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) On June 12, 2025 shows the back of an Air India plane after it crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad. Image- AFP The officials investigating the Air India flight AI-171 crash are closely drawing parallels with a February 2020 incident at the UK's Gatwick airport, and are hunting for clues. The incident, which involved an Airbus A321, saw the plane's both engines malfunction shortly after take-off. The pilots made a Mayday call and returned to the airport after 11 minutes after a turnaround. Fortunately, the Airbus plane had gained an altitude of almost 3580 feet and was able to make the roundabout and touch down after declaring Mayday thrice. However, the people onboard the doomed Air India plane were not that lucky as it came crashing down after gaining the altitude of just 625 feet. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Looking for clues The UK Air Accident Investigation Branch (AIIB) later investigated the Airbus incident and found that the reason for the engine failure was fuel system contamination. This despite engineers clearing the aircraft for operations just ahead of the take-off. Notably, the AIIB investigators have joined the Ahmedabad plane crash probe. Officials are taking a look at AI-171's technical logs in the 24 hours preceding the crash. Plane lost power after take-off The officials meanwhile also appear to conclude that the plane lost power immediately after take-off, citing 'visual observation and wreckage'. 'The material evidence, which includes the wreckage and the videos of the takeoff as well as the crash, indicate a definite power failure on the flight. The cause will be known only when the black box data is recovered but we can estimate that since the flight was in a takeoff and its nose pitched up for the liftoff, the deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) could not help the flight make a safe turnaround as it had not even achieved the minimum altitude of 3600 feet for a safe path,' Indian Express quoted an officer as saying. The officer also dismissed speculations around cockpit error, saying the pilots 'may have tried their best to gain manual control'. 'It does not appear to be a cockpit error… The observations are that the power failure occurred as soon as the flight was airborne and was unable to climb to the safe path altitude… the (Boeing) 787 Dreamliner has a provision for a manual reversion control system to allow pilots to regain control of critical systems in the event of a hydraulic failure. This system is a backup, using RAT to generate power, but there was no altitude cushion to ensure a safe glide downward or for the pilot to attempt anything… It just dropped on to the medical hostel building, with the tail being impacted and separated due to its liftoff position. Had it achieved an elevation of about 3600-4900 feet, it could have been a different story as planes can safely make Mayday landings with the RAT,' the officer said. On fuel contamination The officer said investigators were looking at technical log of the aircraft to examine whether any technical abnormalities were flagged by any of the previous captains or maintenance staff. 'The aircraft was incoming from Paris to Delhi and from Delhi to Ahmedabad… In fact, it made a round trip to Paris from Delhi on June 11-12. Just a day earlier, it had returned to Delhi after a round trip to Tokyo. We will check the technical logs to see if any of the engineering teams or pilots of the previous flight left comments on the performance of both engines or experienced any ECAM (Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor) message during the flight, accompanied by any thrust issues during flight,' the officer said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'At this point, we have no reason to speculate a sabotage but if the cause of the engine failure is fuel contamination, which is most likely due to water, the maintenance records of the flight, which are also under scrutiny, will reveal if it was due to oversight or negligence or corrosion in the fuel system, leading to clogging which is rare if the aircraft is regularly serviced. Fuel contaminated with water is the most common cause of power loss in flights and, many times, cannot be detected until the aircraft is actually airborne,' the officer said.
Indian Express
17 hours ago
- General
- Indian Express
Air India plane crash: AI-171 probe looks at Gatwick takeoff incident 5 yrs ago for possible clues
Investigators probing the June 12 crash of Air India flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick are taking a close look at a February 2020 incident in Gatwick, involving an Airbus A321, in which both engines malfunctioned immediately after takeoff. It led to a Mayday call before the aircraft returned to Gatwick 11 minutes later after a turnaround. In its 2020 investigation, the UK Air Accident Investigation Branch (AIIB), which is also in Ahmedabad to probe the June 12 crash, found that the reason for the engine failure was fuel system contamination even though engineers had found no fault prior to clearing it for flying that night. Officers aware of the ongoing investigation into the Ahmedabad crash said a thorough scrutiny of AI-171's technical logs in the 24 hours preceding the crash were being looked into as it was 'clear from visual observation and wreckage' that the flight suffered a power failure. Speaking to The Indian Express Thursday, an officer said the probe agencies, in primary observations from the available visual evidence, statements of the controllers of Ahmedabad Air Traffic Control (ATC), maintenance engineers who cleared the flight on the ground, and initial inspection of the wreckage, estimated that the aircraft experienced power failure of the main electric system within seconds of takeoff. 'The material evidence, which includes the wreckage and the videos of the takeoff as well as the crash, indicate a definite power failure on the flight. The cause will be known only when the black box data is recovered but we can estimate that since the flight was in a takeoff and its nose pitched up for the liftoff, the deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) could not help the flight make a safe turnaround as it had not even achieved the minimum altitude of 3600 feet for a safe path,' the officer said. The black boxes and the DVR have been recovered but the officer said that the devices were damaged and file extraction would 'be a complicated process'. According to the officer, 'deliberations were on' about sending the black boxes to the US where the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) could help recover the recordings with advanced expertise. The wreckage of the Dreamliner, the officer said, had 'not hinted' at any cockpit error, and the pilots 'may have tried their best to gain manual control' for attempting a turnaround. 'It does not appear to be a cockpit error… The observations are that the power failure occurred as soon as the flight was airborne and was unable to climb to the safe path altitude… the (Boeing) 787 Dreamliner has a provision for a manual reversion control system to allow pilots to regain control of critical systems in the event of a hydraulic failure. This system is a backup, using RAT to generate power, but there was no altitude cushion to ensure a safe glide downward or for the pilot to attempt anything… It just dropped on to the medical hostel building, with the tail being impacted and separated due to its liftoff position. Had it achieved an elevation of about 3600-4900 feet, it could have been a different story as planes can safely make Mayday landings with the RAT,' the officer said. AI-171 had gained an altitude of only 625 feet when it came crashing down. The officer said that while probing the cause of engine failure, the most crucial aspect would be an analysis of the technical log of the aircraft for the preceding 24 to 48 hours to ascertain if any technical abnormalities had been experienced or noted down by the previous captains or maintenance staff. 'The aircraft was incoming from Paris to Delhi and from Delhi to Ahmedabad… In fact, it made a round trip to Paris from Delhi on June 11-12. Just a day earlier, it had returned to Delhi after a round trip to Tokyo. We will check the technical logs to see if any of the engineering teams or pilots of the previous flight left comments on the performance of both engines or experienced any ECAM (Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor) message during the flight, accompanied by any thrust issues during flight,' the officer said. 'At this point, we have no reason to speculate a sabotage but if the cause of the engine failure is fuel contamination, which is most likely due to water, the maintenance records of the flight, which are also under scrutiny, will reveal if it was due to oversight or negligence or corrosion in the fuel system, leading to clogging which is rare if the aircraft is regularly serviced. Fuel contaminated with water is the most common cause of power loss in flights and, many times, cannot be detected until the aircraft is actually airborne,' the officer said. Since the Ahmedabad crash is the first involving a Boeing 787, investigators are 'leaving nothing to chance'. 'The Dreamliner has an advanced electrical system… it can cover a sufficient distance safely on one engine as well… In case of dual hydraulic failure, the flight can be on manual reversion and be controlled for safe landing at the nearest available facility. The flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder will reveal what went wrong in about one minute,' the officer said. A chemical analysis of 'important and relevant' parts from the wreckage will reveal any unusually high level of contaminants. 'Since the explosion and the subsequent fire have damaged much of the aircraft, especially the fuel tanks, forensic engineers of the investigating team have gathered as much relevant debris as possible to find traces of elements that could indicate if there had been fuel contamination,' the officer said. The UK AAIB team is comparing notes with the February 2020 Gatwick incident findings. 'The entire duration of the flight was 11 minutes, as per the investigation of the UK AAIB… The incident was almost similar, except that the flight had gained an altitude of almost 3580 feet and was able to make the roundabout and touch down after declaring Mayday thrice… The findings of the investigation had concluded that the reason for the engine failure was fuel system contamination even though the engineers had found no fault prior to clearing it for flying that night,' the officer said. 'However, that investigation had revealed that the three flights, which the aircraft completed prior to the Gatwick takeoff, had experienced unusual signs of one of the engines as it had taken multiple attempts to start… and also relayed stalling messages during the flight… It was later found that the engineers who cleared the flight from Gatwick had not conducted extensive examination of the engine, which resulted in 'no fault' being found,' the officer said.
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.
NDTV
2 days ago
- NDTV
Bali-Delhi Air India Flight Diverted To Varanasi Due To Bad Weather
Varanasi (UP): An Air India flight from Bali to Delhi was diverted to Varanasi's Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport due to bad weather in the national capital, an official said on Wednesday. The flight later departed for Delhi the same night after the stop at Varanasi on Tuesday. Puneet Gupta, Director of Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi, said the Air India flight AI 2146 had to be diverted as poor weather conditions over Delhi severely reduced visibility, making it unsafe for the aircraft to land. "The flight, carrying 187 passengers, safely landed at Varanasi airport," Mr Gupta said, adding that "all necessary passenger amenities were ensured during the delay. The plane was cleared for take-off and flown back to Delhi later in the night. A separate Delhi-Bali flight was diverted back to the national capital on Wednesday due to a volcanic eruption near Bali airport. The flight safely landed back in Delhi and all passengers have disembarked, Air India said in a statement. "Air India flight AI2145 on June 18 from Delhi to Bali was advised to air return to Delhi due to reports of volcanic eruption near destination airport Bali, in the interest of safety," it said. On Tuesday, AI 2146 was scheduled for departure from the Denpasar International Airport in Bali, Indonesia at 10.30 am (local time) and was to land at the Indira Gandhi International Airport around 2.30 pm. According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, the Airbus A321 plane landed in Varanasi instead of Delhi around 3.50 pm. The flight was near the Delhi-UP border when it was diverted to Varanasi, it showed. Air India has faced successive cancellations and diversions since a London-bound flight operated by it crashed in Ahmedabad shortly after take-off on June 12. Over 270 people, including those onboard the plane and on the ground, died in the crash. On Tuesday, Air India cancelled seven international flights, taking the total number of cancellations by the airlines since the Ahmedabad crash to over 80. Flight operations at the Delhi airport faced several disruptions on Tuesday, with 14 diverted flights -- six to Bhopal, three to Chandigarh, two to Amritsar, one each to Ahmedabad, Varanasi and Lucknow. Over 400 flights were delayed and some flights were cancelled at the airport on Tuesday, as per data from Flightradar24. In a post on X, Air India said that due to inclement weather conditions in Delhi, "our flight operations are getting impacted with some diversions".
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Air India's Bali-Delhi flight diverted to Varanasi due to bad weather
An Air India flight from Bali to Delhi was diverted to Varanasi's Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport due to bad weather in the national capital, an official said on Wednesday (Jue 18, 2025). The flight later departed for Delhi the same night after the stop at Varanasi on Tuesday (June 17). Puneet Gupta, Director of Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi, said the Air India flight AI 2146 had to be diverted as poor weather conditions over Delhi severely reduced visibility, making it unsafe for the aircraft to land. "The flight, carrying 187 passengers, safely landed at Varanasi airport," Mr. Gupta said, adding that "all necessary passenger amenities were ensured during the delay. The plane was cleared for take-off and flown back to Delhi later in the night. Volcanic eruption in Bali A separate Delhi-Bali flight was diverted back to the national capital on Wednesday due to a volcanic eruption near Bali airport. The flight safely landed back in Delhi and all passengers have disembarked, Air India said in a statement. "Air India flight AI2145 on June 18 from Delhi to Bali was advised to air return to Delhi due to reports of volcanic eruption near destination airport Bali, in the interest of safety," it said. On Tuesday, AI 2146 was scheduled for departure from the Denpasar International Airport in Bali, Indonesia at 10.30 am (local time) and was to land at the Indira Gandhi International Airport around 2.30 pm. According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, the Airbus A321 plane landed in Varanasi instead of Delhi around 3.50 pm. The flight was near the Delhi-UP border when it was diverted to Varanasi, it showed. Air India has faced successive cancellations and diversions since a London-bound flight operated by it crashed in Ahmedabad shortly after take-off on June 12. Over 270 people, including those onboard the plane and on the ground, died in the crash. On Tuesday, Air India cancelled seven international flights, taking the total number of cancellations by the airlines since the Ahmedabad crash to over 80. Flight operations at the Delhi airport faced several disruptions on Tuesday, with 14 diverted flights -- six to Bhopal, three to Chandigarh, two to Amritsar, one each to Ahmedabad, Varanasi and Lucknow. Over 400 flights were delayed and some flights were cancelled at the airport on Tuesday, as per data from Flightradar24. In a post on X, Air India said that due to inclement weather conditions in Delhi, "our flight operations are getting impacted with some diversions".
