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The Hindu
12-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Ahmedabad air crash: Overloading, ‘bird hit' among probable causes, say experts
While the causes of the A1-171 flight crash in Ahmedabad are being investigated and information from the flight data and cockpit voice-recorder was awaited, aviation experts theorise — judging from videos of the plane's short flight — that overloading, a potential bird hit and the rare instance of both engines failing could have prevented the air-plane from getting sufficient 'lift' to ascend. The 787-Dreamliner has maximum take-off weight of 227.9 tonnes and a fuel capacity of 126,206 litres. The twin engines are equipped, even under the worst scenario, to operate for up to 330 minutes on a single engine. 'The odds of both engines failing simultaneously during take-off are quite small or about one in a billion,' Abhay Pashilkar, Director, CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), which designs civilian planes, told The Hindu. A plausible scenario was the plane being overloaded, he explained. This meant an incorrect estimate of the combined weight of the loaded airplane and the quantity of available fuel. This along with the external temperature determines the speed at which the plane must attain to keep rising and a misjudgment on that can cause the plane to stall and drop. 'High temperatures on a hot day can thin out the air, meaning you get less lift from the same speed. Weight, temperature altitude all affect lift. Prior to take-off, the pilots have charts and are informed of the weights and the necessary speeds for specific altitudes,' said Mr. Pashilkar. 'If the pilot didn't hit the appropriate speeds, it would reflect in the flight recorder and we will know.' Growth of grass Aviation expert Capt. Mohan Ranganathan told The Hindu that a 'bird hit,' or birds being sucked into both engines couldn't be ruled out. He explained that growth of grass near the runway during the monsoon season attracts a lot of insects, which in turn, attract birds. 'I suspect bird ingestion may have happened. And from the footage that we have seen, the landing gear did not retract. If that happened, the aircraft could have climbed higher and travelled further and possibly would crossed the residential areas,' said Capt. Ranganathan. In January 2009, an Airbus A320, taking off from the LaGuardia airport, New York city, encountered a flock of birds that caused both engines to malfunction. This led to the pilot taking the unusual decision to land the plane on the Hudson River but in the process, also successfully rescuing all the 155 passengers on board. The Ahmedabad air crash has once again brought the spotlight back on safety with regard to Boeing aircraft, including the Dreamliner. Though this is the first time a Dreamliner has crashed, the aircraft has faced safety issues earlier. The initial lot of Dreamliner aircraft faced heating of batteries and forced groundings of planes. The manufacturer also had halted deliveries of their existing orders and reworked on some design aspects after concerns were raised over design of fuselage. There are more than 1,100 787s in service, with several leading international airlines reliant on them. The two major crashes in recent years that were due to faults on Boeing planes were using the then new 737 Max model, in Indonesia and Ethiopia in 2018 and 2019. Last month, Boeing agreed to a $1.1bn-deal with the U.S. Department of Justice to avoid prosecution over crashes which collectively killed 346 people. To be sure, these weren't Dreamliners.
Economic Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
India to develop two-seater electric trainer aircraft: Jitendra Singh
India has commenced developing the Electric Hansa (E-Hansa), a two-seater electric trainer aircraft, spearheaded by CSIR-NAL, Bengaluru. Expected to cost around Rs 2 crore, it's significantly cheaper than imported alternatives. E-Hansa aligns with India's green aviation goals, promoting clean energy fuel in aircraft and offering a cost-effective, indigenous pilot training solution. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads India has initiated the process to develop Electric Hansa ( E-Hansa ), a next-generation two-seater electric trainer aircraft , Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday. Singh said it is a matter of pride that the new aircraft is being indigenously developed by the CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), E-Hansa trainer aircraft is expected to cost significantly less than imported alternatives, possibly around Rs 2 crore. This is roughly half the price of a comparable imported trainer aircraft, Singh said during a monthly meeting to review the progress of various science departments.E-Hansa is part of the larger HANSA-3 (NG) trainer aircraft programme, which is designed to be a cost-effective and indigenous option for pilot training in India , an official statement E-Hansa aircraft will also mark a key step towards India's green aviation goals and the use of green or clean energy fuel in running aircraft in the country, the minister said.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
India to develop two-seater electric trainer aircraft: Jitendra Singh
India has initiated the process to develop Electric Hansa ( E-Hansa ), a next-generation two-seater electric trainer aircraft , Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday. Singh said it is a matter of pride that the new aircraft is being indigenously developed by the CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bengaluru. The E-Hansa trainer aircraft is expected to cost significantly less than imported alternatives, possibly around Rs 2 crore. This is roughly half the price of a comparable imported trainer aircraft, Singh said during a monthly meeting to review the progress of various science departments. E-Hansa is part of the larger HANSA-3 (NG) trainer aircraft programme, which is designed to be a cost-effective and indigenous option for pilot training in India , an official statement said. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Óculos militar, perfeito para pescarias, dirigir, caminhadas Óculos Max Saiba Mais Undo The E-Hansa aircraft will also mark a key step towards India's green aviation goals and the use of green or clean energy fuel in running aircraft in the country, the minister said.
