Latest news with #SteveScheibner
India Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Location for decoding crashed Air India plane's black box to be decided: Government
The decision regarding the location for decoding the black box recovered from the doomed Air India plane in Ahmedabad last week will be decided after due assessment of all technical, safety and security considerations, the government said on government's response came after reports suggested that India would send the black box to the US for data recovery as the recorder was heavily damaged in the crash, which killed 270 people. However, the government said the location would be decided by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).advertisementOn June 12, the London-bound Air India Flight AI171 crashed into a government-run medical hostel in Ahmedabad minutes after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Only one survivor out of the 242 people aboard the ill-fated flight survived. The government said the AAIB recovered the black box from the crashed plane 28 hours after the tragedy. The AAIB, which is probing the crash, said its probe is progressing steadily with all necessary support from local authorities and agencies. Key recovery work, including site documentation and evidence collection, has been completed, and further analysis is now the crash, all planes under the Boeing 787-8/9 fleet of Air India are undergoing an enhanced safety inspection that began on June 15, the Civil Aviation Ministry doomed plane - a Boeing 787 Dreamliner - featured two black box sets and authorities were probing the combined unit of the digital flight data recorder (DFDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) recovered from the crash CVR, which captures audio from the cockpit, including pilot conversations, and FDR collectively form what is known as the black box. Decoding the black box is significant as it would provide an in-depth insight into what led to the crash and the moments before the tragedy Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu convened a detailed video conference with all airport directors across the country to review ground-level preparedness and passenger support mechanisms in light of the rescheduling of flights happening for multiple reasons, like post-accident checks, weather changes and closing of certain airspaces due to geopolitical minister emphasised the importance of working together as a cohesive and responsive team to uphold passenger trust and bring operational the exact reason behind the crash will only be known after decoding the black box, former US Navy pilot Captain Steve Scheibner, in an interview with India Today TV, suggested that the deployment of the ram air turbine (RAT) shortly after takeoff pointed to a dual engine InTrending Reel
Mint
4 days ago
- General
- Mint
Air India plane crash: US expert flags RAT deployment, points to ‘dual engine failure' in disaster
Air India Plane Crash: On 12 June 2025, an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner operating flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick tragically crashed seconds after takeoff, resulting in the deaths of 241 passengers and crew, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The Air India aircraft, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, lost contact less than a minute after departure and impacted a residential area near the airport. Two black boxes were recovered, but the exact cause of the crash remains unknown. However, aviation expert and former US Navy pilot Captain Steve Scheibner has highlighted the deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) as a significant clue in his recent YouTube analysis. Now an aviation expert and YouTuber, Captain Steve is an aviator with over three decades of flying experience, having served as a US Navy pilot specialising in submarine hunting with the P-3 Orion before transitioning to a commercial career with American Airlines. According to his YouTube channel, he accumulated more than 14,000 hours of flight time and concluded his 36-year career with American Airlines in September 2022, completing his final flight with the airline. Former US Navy pilot and aviation expert Captain Steve Scheibner revisited his analysis of the Air India Boeing 787 crash near Ahmedabad, highlighting the deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) as a crucial clue. Drawing upon newly surfaced, clearer video footage, Captain Steve asserted, 'There was some sort of dual engine failure'. Captain Steve has flown a wide range of aircraft, including the Boeing 727, 737, 757, 767, and 777 series, according to several media reports. The enhanced video reveals a small grey dot beneath the aircraft, which Captain Steve identifies as the RAT. The enhanced video reveals a small grey dot beneath the aircraft, which Captain Steve identifies as the RAT. The US aviation expert, and an Air Force and Air National Guard pilot, flying aircraft, explained, 'In the middle of the circle, you see kind of a protrusion on the belly of the aircraft... just underneath that you see a little grey dot... that little grey dot is the RAT. This is visual confirmation that the RAT deployed'. Further supporting his theory, Captain Steve, who has flown the Vought A-7D/K Corsair II and the Lockheed F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, pointed to the audio from the original crash video, noting, 'You can hear it. It sounds like a high-pitched prop, like a little Cessna going by.' This distinct sound, he explained, is the RAT's two-bladed propeller spinning at high speed to generate emergency power, a noise not emitted by a normally functioning jet aircraft. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national, was in India for a few days to visit his family and was going back to the UK along with his brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh (HT Photo) The lone survivor, Vishwas Kumar Ramesh's account adds another layer of evidence. Seated near an emergency exit, the survivor reported hearing 'a loud bang' and seeing the cabin lights flicker moments before impact. Captain Steve, in his latest YouTube video stated, 'That's consistent with RAT deployment,' as the emergency system momentarily disrupts electrical reserves, causing lights to dim. The RAT is a last-resort device on modern aircraft like the Boeing 787, designed to deploy automatically only in the event of a massive electrical, hydraulic, or dual engine failure. Captain Steve remarked, 'It's not designed for an airplane that's at 400 or 500 feet and loses all power—there's no time to get the engines restarted; there's no benefit to them, except it's evidence for us that it was a dual engine failure most likely'. The Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, reaching a maximum altitude of approximately 625 feet (about 190 metres) above ground level before losing altitude rapidly and descending into a residential area. Flight tracking data showed the aircraft's signal was lost within a minute of departure, with the plane beginning its descent roughly 17 seconds after takeoff. The crash site was located about 1.5 kilometres from the runway, indicating the aircraft did not gain significant height during its brief flight. Ahmedabad: A damaged part of the Air India plane that crashed moments after taking off from the airport, lies on a residential building in Ahmedabad, Thursday, June 12, 2025. The London-bound plane was carrying 242 passengers. While earlier theories included improper flap settings, bird strike, or fuel contamination, Captain Steve now places the dual engine failure theory at the forefront. He notes that initial investigations found no evidence of bird remains on the runway, making a bird strike unlikely. Fuel contamination, though possible, remains unconfirmed. Despite the mounting evidence for a dual engine failure, Captain Steve concedes, 'We're still at square one. We don't know why both engines on a 787 flamed out after takeoff. It's a real head-scratcher'. It is to be noted that Air India, the Tata Group, the DGCA, and the Indian government have not yet officially cited the cause of the Air India plane crash.
India Today
4 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Air India London flight cancelled due to snag. Same route on which AI-171 crashed
The Air India aircraft (AI-159), scheduled to operate the first London-bound flight from Ahmedabad since last week's crash, did not take off on Tuesday due to a technical fault. This is the fourth such incident involving an Air India aircraft in the past 24 London-bound flight was scheduled to take off at 1.10 pm today. The airline said passengers would be issued a ill-fated AI-171, which crashed into a residential neighbourhood in Ahmedabad last week, killing 274 people, was retired after the incident and replaced with AI-159. Data from Flightradar24 showed that the aircraft scheduled to operate on the route was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner - the same model involved in the recent Air India INDIA RECENT INCIDENTSThe development comes amid growing safety concerns around wide-body in the day, an Air India flight (AI-180) from San Francisco to Mumbai developed a technical snag in one of its engines, forcing passengers to deplane during a scheduled stop at Kolkata Monday, an Air India Dreamliner (AI-315), en route to Delhi from Hong Kong, returned shortly after take-off due to a suspected technical issue. The same day, an Air India Express flight from Delhi to Ranchi was diverted back to the national capital due to a suspected CRASH INQUIRYadvertisementThe string of developments come days after Air India flight AI-171, en route to London's Gatwick Airport, crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel building in Ahmedabad within seconds of but one of the 242 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 787-8 and another 29 people, including five MBBS students, on the ground were Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is leading the inquiry, has recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) as well as the flight data recorder (FDR), a vital development in uncovering what caused the deadly accident. The CVR and FDR collectively form what is known as the "black box" of a aviation expert has suggested dual engine failure as a possible cause of the crash. Former US Navy pilot Captain Steve Scheibner told India Today that the deployment of the ram air turbine (RAT) shortly after takeoff pointed to a dual engine InMust Watch
India Today
5 days ago
- Science
- India Today
US expert Steve Scheibner revises Air India crash theory, cites engine failure
In what could shed light on the possible cause of last week's fatal Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad, former US Navy pilot Captain Steve Scheibner has highlighted new evidence suggesting it was a dual engine the new video, the US aviation expert said he was revising his earlier view of the possible cause after examining a clearer Scheibner had suggested that the pilots' failure to set the flaps properly could have been one of the possible causes. He had also mentioned a bird strike or fuel contamination as other potential reasons for engine to a video of the Air India flight -- shot from a nearby rooftop -- that captured the moments leading up to the crash, Scheibner said there was sufficient audio and visual evidence to indicate that the ram air turbine (RAT) was deployed shortly after takeoff. A RAT, which is located just behind the wing on the right side of the airplane, is deployed to power vital systems of an aircraft when it loses its electrical and hydraulic systems or experiences dual engine failure. "You see kind it looks like a protrusion on the belly of the underneath, you see a little gray dot it almost looks like an artifact on the screen. That little gray dot is the RAT," he said."This is visual confirmation that the RAT was deployed," he then moves on to the audio evidence, pointing to a distinct "high-pitched squeal," which he says was made by a RAT, just before the crash."It sounds like a high-pitched prop, like a Cessna going by," he said."It's (RAT) not designed for an airplane that's at 400 or 500 feet and loses all power -- there's no time to get the engines restarted; there's no benefit to them," he added." It is to be remembered that the plane climbed to 625 feet before crashing the aviation expert cited the lone survivor's account wherein he said that he heard "a loud bang" and cabin lights flicker, moments before he escaped the plane. Scheibner pointed out that the lone survivor's account matched with what generally happens during RAT 20,000 hours of flying experience under his belt, Scheibner said that the jury is yet to be out on what actually caused the engines to collapse just after take-off. However, he feels that the traffic air control audio will reveal whether the real cause behind the Mayday call was a double engine failure.
News18
5 days ago
- General
- News18
Netizens Debate RAT Deployment Clues In Air India Crash Video Amid ‘What Went Wrong' Probe
Last Updated: While the exact cause of the crash remains unconfirmed, multiple theories have emerged including a possible dual engine failure or major technical malfunction ds The crash of Air India's Ahmedabad-to-London flight AI171, which killed all 241 passengers on board, has sent shockwaves across the globe. The tragic incident has reignited concerns about air safety, despite commercial aviation being widely regarded as one of the safest modes of transport. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner went down shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport. While the exact cause of the crash remains unconfirmed, multiple theories have emerged including a possible dual engine failure or major technical malfunction. Authorities have launched a full-scale investigation and are examining data recovered from the aircraft's black box. Officials say the real cause of the crash will only be known after a detailed technical analysis is completed. Even as the official investigation is underway, several users on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) have begun dissecting videos of the crash, searching for clues. One particular theory that has gained traction is the suspected deployment of the RAT (Ram Air Turbine), a small, foldable turbine that powers the aircraft during emergency situations. Captain Steve Scheibner Backs Dual-Engine Failure Theory A YouTube video by Captain Steve Scheibner, a former US Navy pilot and aviation expert, has added weight to the speculation. In the video, Scheibner analyses new crash footage using both visual and audio evidence to suggest the possible deployment of the RAT — which could point to a serious systems failure on board. 'There was no evidence of engine failure — no fire, no sparks, no smoke from the engines," Scheibner initially said. 'So, I thought they maybe grabbed the wrong handle and prematurely raised the flaps… But I am going to change my analysis now due to this new video," he said. Scheibner explained that on a Boeing 787, the RAT is automatically deployed in one of three scenarios: a massive electrical failure, a hydraulic system collapse, or a dual engine failure — the most severe of the possibilities. 'A lot of people are talking about the RAT theory. The purpose of the RAT is to provide electrical and hydraulic pressure for the aircraft in an extreme emergency… I'm going to give three or more reasons why I believe RAT was deployed — and why I now believe this was a dual engine failure," he added. Audio is consistent with the 787's ram air turbine (RAT) deployed, indicating a loss in engine power. — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 12, 2025 While Scheibner's analysis and crowd-sourced theories are fuelling online discussion, people will have to wait for the final findings of the investigation. The black box data, including cockpit voice recordings and flight system logs, will play a crucial role in confirming whether the RAT was indeed deployed and what triggered the fatal sequence of events. Meanwhile, Air India and aviation safety authorities are yet to issue an official statement addressing the RAT deployment theory. Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 16, 2025, 14:14 IST News viral Netizens Debate RAT Deployment Clues In Air India Crash Video Amid 'What Went Wrong' Probe
