Latest news with #CSRandhawa
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Enhanced DGCA oversight key to avert flight crashes: Captain C S Randhawa
Captain C S Randhawa is a big name in the Indian aviation industry. The former Deputy Chief Flight Operations Inspector at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has 45 years of flying experience, including 37 years of flying Boeing aircraft and fighter planes. As President of the Federation of Indian Pilots, he has been vocal about the need to boost the safety of flying for both passengers and crew. He spoke to S. Lalitha about the way ahead for the grief-stricken industry. Excerpts: In the aftermath of one of the world's deadliest air crashes, which took place at Ahmedabad on June 12, resulting in over 270 deaths and a spate of incidents involving helicopters, too, in the recent past, what steps do you suggest to boost safety in the country's aviation industry? The DGCA needs to exercise greater oversight of all operators. Airlines need to be regularly asked to send reports. For instance, in one of the recent helicopter crashes at Kedarnath, which caused casualties of all on board, the private operator flew in inclement weather. All these aspects need to be brought under strict vigilance. Also, we must involve expert pilots or aviators whenever any inquiry is conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. As FIP president, I want to take up this issue with the Minister of Civil Aviation or the Prime Minister. All regulators like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the USA, the Civil Aviation Authority in the UK and European Aviation Safety Agency in Europe involve veteran pilots with much experience in such investigations.
Scottish Sun
13-06-2025
- General
- Scottish Sun
What caused the Air India plane disaster? Six main theories emerge – from mystery over landing gear to 40C weather
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WHILE the exact cause of the horrific Air India crash is not yet known, speculation continues to swirl online. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 242 passengers on board - including 53 Brits and 11 children - smashed into a doctors' hostel in the west of India on Thursday. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 12 A fire officer stands next to the crashed Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft Credit: Reuters 12 The Air India plane crashed into a medical college campus creating a huge fireball Credit: x/nchorAnandN 12 The plane's tail can be seen sticking out of a building following the crash Credit: AP 12 People sift through the debris of Air India flight AI171 as they search for survivors Credit: Alamy The plane was heading to London Gatwick when it crashed just moments after take-off. One of Flight AI171's two "black boxes" has reportedly been recovered - which should provide crucial evidence on the fatal five minutes between the plane's takeoff and impact. Follow our live blog here... The black box will provide technical information on details like time, airspeed, altitude and hearing. And the cockpit voice recorder may also offer vital clues such as any conversation between the two pilots, any engine noises or bangs, stall warnings or sounds of other equipment. The crash killed at least 265 people - including those on board and locals on the ground. As crash investigators begin to pour over that data, The Sun looks at six main theories as potential causes for India's worst ever aviation disaster. Bird strikes 12 Aviation experts believe the aircraft's engines could have been struck by birds Credit: X A bird strike could have taken out both of the jet's General Electric engines. While a bird taking down something the size of a commercial airliner might sound fanciful, there are numerous examples. Most famous was US Airways Flight 1549, which suffered double engine failure in 2009 after being hit by a flock of Canada geese shortly after taking off from New York's LaGuardia Airport. The plane, captained by Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, was forced to make an emergency landing in the Hudson river - earning the tagline the "Miracle on the Hudson" since there were zero casualities. Ahmedabad Airport is known to have a large avian population - a study in 2018 found the airport has 'a high potential of bird-aircraft collision hazards'. Captain C S Randhawa, who has flown a Boeing 777 for 15 years, and was the former Deputy Chief Flight Inspector, Operations, at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, said a bird strike was "the most probable' cause of the crash. "Both Ahmedabad and Agra airports are full of birds. Incidents of aircraft being hit by birds keep happening on and off," he told The New Indian Express. Aviation safety consultant and instructor Captain Mohan Ranganathan told the same publication: "Bird hit appears to be the reason as of now. "Ahmedabad airport has a history of a huge bird population. I flagged this issue 17 years ago and have written extensively about it too." Brit survivor WALKS AWAY unscathed from Air India plane crash after jumping from flaming jet Captain Ranganathan claims that the birds are drawn to the slaughterhouses near the airport He added: 'The reason for such a huge presence is due to slaughterhouses in the vicinity of airports which should never have been allowed. "They are never relocated by the authorities because they are owned by politicians or their relatives.' In January 2021, an identical plane to the one involved in Thursday's crash aborted a take-off in Mexico after birds flew into one of its engines. Wing Flap Position 12 CCTV footage shows the doomed Air India Dreamliner taking off in Ahmedabad Credit: ViralPress Aviation experts have suggested that the position of the aircraft's wing flaps could have played a role in the disaster. Video evidence suggests the flaps were fully retracted, which would have provided minimal lift. The aircraft's landing gear also remained deployed throughout which would have increased potentially fatal drag. One theory is that the landing gear was stuck and pilots retracted the flaps to reduce drag or that the flaps were faulty and caused the plane to stall. Aviation expert Terry Tozer, author of Confessions of an Airline Pilot, told the BBC: "It's very hard to say from the video for sure, it doesn't look as if the flaps are extended and that would be a perfectly obvious explanation for an aircraft not completing its take-off correctly." Marco Chan, a former pilot and a senior lecturer at Buckinghamshire New University, said: "That would point to potential human error if flaps aren't set correctly, but the resolution of the video is too low to confirm that." Pilot error 12 The plane's captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who had 8,200 hours of flying experience The state-of-the-art Boeing 787-8 is highly automated, with human pilots making only key decisions - but human error cannot be ruled out. Co-pilot Clive Kundar had more than 1,000 hours of flying experience and made the mayday call but Captain Sumeet Sabharwa at the helm had 8,000 hours - making him one of Air India's most experienced pilots. Sabharwa was also a trained instructor, meaning he had a deep understanding of flying protocol. Estimates suggest the amount of runway utilised by the pilots was less than 2,000 metres - when a full plane on a hot day usually needs a run of 2,500 metres. Additionally, since the wing flaps are also set by the pilots before takeoff, with multiple checklists and procedures in place to ensure that they are positioned correctly, that could also be another source of human error. Heat 12 Smoke billows from the crash site, with temperatures hitting 40C on the day Credit: X Planes get less lift on a hot day due to lower air density, and therefore they need to go faster to get as much lift as on a cooler day. Flight AI171 took off in sweltering 40°C heat in the early afternoon sunshine. The plane may have struggled to gain lift if it took off after a short runway take-off. In his emergency mayday call, co-pilot Clive Kundar says "No thrust, losing power, unable to lift." Technical Error 12 One of Air India's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners taking off at London Heathrow Airport Credit: Alamy Catastrophic technical or engineering issues have not been ruled out. The jet's complex design mean it could take months for a design or engineering fault to be pinpointed. The Dreamliner has a spotless safety record - this is the first time the model has crashed since its introduction in 2011. However, airlines using the Boeing plane have reported numerous issues with the engines, including a mid-air dive on a LATAM Airlines flight last yeear. During hearings in Washington last year, a former Boeing engineer turned whistleblower urged the aerospace giant to ground all Dreamliners. However, the aircraft manufacturer rejected the claims and said it had full confidence in the 787. Overloading 12 People online have also speculated that the plane may have been over burdened Credit: Ray Collins The aircraft could also have been too heavy to take-off. Danger of overloading could be increased - again - by adverse wather conditions caused by extreme heat. But the weight of aircraft is usually carefully checked ahead of take-off and the theory is thought unlikely. 12 Securit personnel guard the crash site as night falls Credit: Reuters
The Irish Sun
13-06-2025
- General
- The Irish Sun
What caused the Air India plane disaster? Six main theories emerge – from mystery over landing gear to 40C weather
WHILE the exact cause of the horrific Air India crash is not yet known, speculation continues to swirl online. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 242 passengers on board - and 11 children - smashed into a doctors' hostel in the west of India on Thursday. Advertisement 12 A fire officer stands next to the crashed Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft Credit: Reuters 12 The Air India plane crashed into a medical college campus creating a huge fireball Credit: x/nchorAnandN 12 The plane's tail can be seen sticking out of a building following the crash Credit: AP 12 People sift through the debris of Air India flight AI171 as they search for survivors Credit: Alamy The plane was heading to London Gatwick when it . One of Flight AI171's two "black boxes" has reportedly been recovered - which should provide crucial evidence on the fatal five minutes between the plane's takeoff and impact. Follow our live blog The black box will provide technical information on details like time, airspeed, altitude and hearing. Advertisement Read more on World News And the cockpit voice recorder may also offer vital clues such as any conversation between the two pilots, any engine noises or bangs, stall warnings or sounds of other equipment. The crash killed at least 265 people - including those on board and locals on the ground. As crash investigators begin to pour over that data, The Sun looks at six main theories as potential causes for India's worst ever aviation disaster. Bird strikes 12 Aviation experts believe the aircraft's engines could have been struck by birds Credit: X Advertisement A bird strike could have taken out both of the jet's General Electric engines. Most read in The Sun Exclusive Latest Exclusive While a bird taking down something the size of a commercial airliner might sound fanciful, there are numerous examples. Most famous was US Airways Flight 1549, which suffered double engine failure in 2009 after being hit by a flock of Canada geese shortly after taking off from New York's LaGuardia Airport. The plane, captained by Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, was forced to make an emergency landing in the Hudson river - earning the tagline the "Miracle on the Hudson" since there were zero casualities. Advertisement Ahmedabad Airport is known to have a large avian population - a study in 2018 found the airport has 'a high potential of bird-aircraft collision hazards'. Captain C S Randhawa, who has flown a Boeing 777 for 15 years, and was the former Deputy Chief Flight Inspector, Operations, at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, said a bird strike was "the most probable' cause of the crash. "Both Ahmedabad and Agra airports are full of birds. Incidents of aircraft being hit by birds keep happening on and off," he told The New Indian Express. Aviation safety consultant and instructor Captain Mohan Ranganathan told the same publication: "Bird hit appears to be the reason as of now. Advertisement "Ahmedabad airport has a history of a huge bird population. I flagged this issue 17 years ago and have written extensively about it too." Brit survivor WALKS AWAY unscathed from Air India plane crash after jumping from flaming jet Captain Ranganathan claims that the birds are drawn to the slaughterhouses near the airport He added: 'The reason for such a huge presence is due to slaughterhouses in the vicinity of airports which should never have been allowed. "They are never relocated by the authorities because they are owned by politicians or their relatives.' Advertisement In January 2021, an identical plane to the one involved in Thursday's crash aborted a take-off in Mexico after birds flew into one of its engines. Wing Flap Position 12 CCTV footage shows the doomed Air India Dreamliner taking off in Ahmedabad Credit: ViralPress Aviation experts have suggested that the position of the aircraft's wing flaps could have played a role in the disaster. Video evidence suggests the flaps were fully retracted, which would have provided minimal lift. Advertisement The aircraft's landing gear also remained deployed throughout which would have increased potentially fatal drag. One theory is that the landing gear was stuck and pilots retracted the flaps to reduce drag or that the flaps were faulty and caused the plane to stall. Aviation expert Terry Tozer, author of Confessions of an Airline Pilot, told the BBC: "It's very hard to say from the video for sure, it doesn't look as if the flaps are extended and that would be a perfectly obvious explanation for an aircraft not completing its take-off correctly." Marco Chan, a former pilot and a senior lecturer at Buckinghamshire New University, said: "That would point to potential human error if flaps aren't set correctly, but the resolution of the video is too low to confirm that." Advertisement Pilot error 12 The plane's captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who had 8,200 hours of flying experience The state-of-the-art Boeing 787-8 is highly automated, with human pilots making only key decisions - but human error cannot be ruled out. Co-pilot Clive Kundar had more than 1,000 hours of flying experience and made the mayday call but Captain Sumeet Sabharwa at the helm had 8,000 hours - making him one of Air India's most experienced pilots. Sabharwa was also a trained instructor, meaning he had a deep understanding of flying protocol. Advertisement Estimates suggest the amount of runway utilised by the pilots was less than 2,000 metres - when a full plane on a hot day usually needs a run of 2,500 metres. Additionally, since the wing flaps are also set by the pilots before takeoff, with multiple checklists and procedures in place to ensure that they are positioned correctly, that could also be another source of human error. Heat 12 Smoke billows from the crash site, with temperatures hitting 40C on the day Credit: X Planes get less lift on a hot day due to lower air density, and therefore they need to go faster to get as much lift as on a cooler day. Advertisement Flight AI171 took off in sweltering 40°C heat in the early afternoon sunshine. The plane may have struggled to gain lift if it took off after a short runway take-off. In his emergency mayday call, co-pilot Clive Kundar says "No thrust, losing power, unable to lift." Technical Error 12 One of Air India's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners taking off at London Heathrow Airport Credit: Alamy Advertisement Catastrophic technical or engineering issues have not been ruled out. The jet's complex design mean it could take months for a design or engineering fault to be pinpointed. The Dreamliner has a spotless safety record - this is the first time the model has crashed since its introduction in 2011. However, airlines using the Boeing plane have reported numerous issues with the engines, including a mid-air dive on a LATAM Airlines flight last yeear. Advertisement During hearings in Washington last year, a former Boeing engineer turned whistleblower urged the aerospace giant to ground all Dreamliners. However, the aircraft manufacturer rejected the claims and said it had full confidence in the 787. Overloading 12 People online have also speculated that the plane may have been over burdened Credit: Ray Collins The aircraft could also have been too heavy to take-off. Advertisement Danger of overloading could be increased - again - by adverse wather conditions caused by extreme heat. But the weight of aircraft is usually carefully checked ahead of take-off and the theory is thought unlikely. 12 Securit personnel guard the crash site as night falls Credit: Reuters 12 Security personnel stand next to the wreckage of a part of the Air India aircraft Credit: Reuters Advertisement
New Indian Express
12-06-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Bird hit most likely reason for Air India crash in Ahmedabad, say aviation experts
NEW DELHI: The horrendous Air India crash at Ahmedabad which resulted in 241 fatalities was most probably caused by a bird (kite) hit, which resulted in the rare failure of both the engines simultaneously, say experts who are also former pilots well versed with the operations of this wide-bodied plane. Captain C S Randhawa, who has flown a Boeing 777 for 15 years, and was the former Deputy Chief Flight Inspector, Operations, at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, said, 'Three possible reasons could be behind the crash – a bird hit shutting down both the engines, the contamination of the fuel with water and a control jam issue. The most probable one appears to the bird hit.' Randhawa said the Dreamliner would have been fully stocked with 70,000 litres of aviation turbine fuel loaded onto it. 'After take-off, the captain appears to have applied the gear up at 50 feet and at 250 feet, the auto-pilot was switched on which is as per procedure. However, at 500 to 600 feet, he announced a Mayday call (severe emergency) to the Air Traffic Control. While the reason is usually immediately spelt out, in this case there appears to have been no time for him to state it.' An aircraft can be struck by a bird or a flock of birds suddenly, causing total damage to the engine, he said, adding, "Both Ahmedabad and Agra airports are full of birds. Incidents of aircraft being hit by birds keep happening on and off."
New Indian Express
22-05-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
IndiGo asked to submit report on hailstorm incident that damaged aircraft during Delhi-Srinagar flight
NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday asked IndiGo Airlines to submit a report on the hailstorm incident involving the Delhi-Srinagar flight 6E 2142 on Wednesday evening. The 227 passengers on board had a narrow escape after the flight encountered the hailstorm midway. When asked if any probe has been ordered into the incident, the Director of DGCA, Faiz Ahmed, told this reporter, 'We have asked IndiGo to submit a report on the incident. A decision on ordering an inquiry will be taken after finding out what the airline has to say about it.' The incident had traumatized the passengers, many of whom felt they would not survive the nightmare that they endured with the flight moving up and down and lightning all around them. Former pilots and aviation safety experts refused to accept that the pilots did something remarkable in saving the lives of the passengers in an emergency. The common view was that there was no need to have got entangled in such a situation first. Captain C S Randhawa, President of the Federation of Indian Pilots, told this reporter, 'The weather in an approaching area is picked up very much in advance by two weather radars which are superimposed on the navigation display. There is a red area which is displayed to caution the cockpit crew. It can never happen that both radars fail simultaneously. This gives the pilot a chance to divert the flight well in advance in order to avoid something in the route by connecting with the ATC and taking their guidance too.' The pilot can opt for a diversion at 80 miles or even 60 miles before the spot where there is an issue, he added.
