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India.com
2 days ago
- General
- India.com
Video Captures Last 3 Seconds Before Ahmedabad Crash: Did Air India Flight Suffer Total Power Failure?
Ahmedabad: Nine national and international aviation bodies are now investigating the tragic June 12 crash of an Air India flight in Ahmedabad. A crucial clue may lie in a 19-second rooftop video shot by a teenager, which purportedly captured a rare and telling detail just seconds before impact – the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) system deployed mid-air. Group Captain Mohit Chaturvedi (retd), a former IAF pilot who now flies VVIP aircraft, analysed the video and flagged the RAT deployment as a potential sign that all main engines and power sources failed during takeoff. 'This hints at total electrical system failure,' he said. Chaturvedi explained that commercial aircraft like the Boeing 787 have multiple power safeguards. Normally, power is generated through two Integrated Drive Generators (IDG) on the engines and a third unit in the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) located in the tail. If all three fail, each engine still carries a backup generator. If those fail too, the load shifts to two small Permanent Magnetic Generators (PMGs) used to power essentials like landing lights. But if even PMGs go offline, only one last failsafe remains – the RAT system. Mounted behind the landing gear, it works like a wind turbine, deploying automatically in emergencies to generate enough power to run flight-critical systems. 'The RAT being visible in the crash video means that all primary and backup systems failed. This was not a normal technical snag,' Chaturvedi said. He believes the pilot issued a Mayday call and likely said 'loss of thrust', but did not get time to relay further details. 'Without AC power, even a second's delay can knock out flight displays. If the pilot cannot see ahead, control is impossible,' he said. Chaturvedi also pointed out a key design change in the Boeing 787 – unlike older models that used hydraulic systems powered by engine bleed-air, the 787 uses electric pumps to generate hydraulic pressure. This saves weight but makes the aircraft more dependent on uninterrupted electrical supply. If AC power is lost entirely, landing gear, flight controls and nose-wheel steering could stop responding. 'If the APU and both IDGs failed, the gear would not retract. And that would disrupt the aircraft's aerodynamic balance during climb,' he explained. He noted that the plane appeared to veer left shortly before crashing. 'This could be linked to asymmetric thrust or disrupted control surfaces,' he added. Regarding takeoff protocol, he stressed that both pilots perform precise calculations before liftoff, accounting for runway length, aircraft weight, temperature and humidity. These parameters determine the takeoff speed and angle. Could the crash be due to pilot error during input? 'Highly unlikely,' Chaturvedi said and added, 'Even if flaps were wrongly configured, the system triggers a warning. The computer will not accept incorrect settings.' He dismissed theories about fuel sabotage: 'That is baseless. The fuel tank is centrally located, but controls are in the cockpit. No one outside can cut off fuel. Also, fuel is loaded via external bowsers, and DGCA rules mandate that all such units be seized after a crash.' He added, 'A Boeing 787 can fly 45 minutes on a single engine. Each one delivers 53,000 pounds of thrust. One engine failure would not have brought it down, especially right after takeoff.' Another expert, Group Captain Chandraprakash Dwivedi (retd), who has logged over 3,000 flying hours, agreed. 'Most crashes occur during landing or takeoff, but dual-engine failure is extremely rare. Only seven such cases have occurred globally. In 2009, both engines failed on a US flight and the pilot landed safely in the Hudson River,' he said. He believes Ahmedabad's crash points to a serious technical breakdown. 'Both engines failing at the same time is nearly impossible in Indian aviation history. The investigation will confirm what exactly went wrong,' he added. Both experts suggest that a complete electrical collapse, not a simple pilot error or fuel glitch, may have led to a fatal failure of systems. The RAT deployment, captured just three seconds before impact, could be the most important clue investigators have.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Govt appoints committee on construction of VVIP guest house at MCR HRD Institute
Hyderabad: The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) has instructed the state Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao to appoint an Expert Committee on the construction of the VVIP Guest house on the premises of Dr M Chenna Reddy Human Resource Development Institute (MCRHRDI). The Chief Secretary will hold meetings with the high level representatives from the government and private sectors to constitute the committee. The CMO said that the committee with construction experts will assess all the requirements, including funds for the construction of the VVIP Guest House. The committee will examine the structures and submit a report with its recommendations, the CMO said in a statement.
The Hindu
09-06-2025
- The Hindu
Court pulls up Tihar jail authorities for missing security files of AgustaWestland accused
A Delhi court on Monday (June 9, 2025) pulled up Tihar jail authorities for failing to find the files related to security of Christian Michel James, accused in AgustaWestland case. Special Judge Sanjay Jindal termed the lapse as 'serious concern' and directed the DG Tihar jail to locate the same and file a report in the matter by July 7. The remarks came after the Tihar authorities submitted in the court that the original report sought by the court was 'not traceable despite best efforts'. 'Considering the seriousness of the issues raised by the accused and the facts which have come on record during recent hearings on the grievance of James, it is matter of serious concern that the case file of the inquiry on the basis of which report dated August 29, 2019 was given, is not traceable,' the court said. The matter pertains to an application filed by the accused seeking a re-look at the findings of an inquiry report dated August 29, 2019 on the security arrangements for him inside the prison. James alleged it to be a 'pre-planned conspiracy' to eliminate him in the jail by his enemies related to this case by poisoning him. The jail authorities, in their response, have stated that Mr James's plea was filed after a gap of almost six years. They added that the accused has no threat to his life, while being lodged at present at jail. Mr Michel, a British national, was extradited from Dubai, where he had spent four months in custody, on December 4, 2018. He is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case and the other two are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. The CBI, in its chargesheet, claimed an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros (about ₹2,666 crore) to the exchequer due to the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010, for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros. The ED chargesheet filed against James in June 2016 alleged he received 30 million euros (about ₹225 crore) from AgustaWestland.
Indian Express
30-05-2025
- Indian Express
‘Sad to see trial has not started in 7 years': Judge to AgustaWestland middleman Christian Michel James
Hearing an application moved by Christian Michel James, an accused and alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal of Rouse Avenue Court said on Thursday that it was 'sad to see that the trial has not started in seven years'. James, who was extradited from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2018 and has been in Tihar jail for close to seven years, had moved an application earlier requesting adequate security measures in prison, alleging that his tea was being poisoned and that there were threats to his life. 'I feel sad for you every time you appear before me,' the Judge said to James. 'Do not feel sad, sir. I have learnt a lot in jail. I now know what I want to do with my life. Jail changed that for me. I have made some tremendous friends in Tihar. One official protected me in jail… he put in 110 per cent effort to keep me safe,' James replied. In a report submitted by Tihar authorities on James's fellow prisoner Shahnawaz, it was stated that he had '41 punishments' against him for his conduct in jail after 2020 during his stay in multiple jails in Tihar. The punishments were under 'disorderly behaviour' and 'prohibited articles', it said. The Tihar authorities also mentioned in the report that Shahnawaz was in Tihar jail cell number 1 from November 2018 to October 2019, during which no complaint was lodged against him. This was the period during which James alleged that there were attempts to 'poison him'. 'How can you keep a foreign prisoner with someone dangerous?' Judge Aggarwal asked the jail authorities. 'We have multiple security arrangements on the basis of the kinds of prisoners. We could not have kept him in solitary confinement,' a jail official responded. 'This is six years old. An enquiry was made and, in its report, it was stated that there is no threat to the accused person's life,' the official added. The court noted that '…it is a matter of serious concern that the accused states that there was an attempt on his life by an co-inmate, who was a desperate criminal, thereby putting his life to peril and further, as stated by him that it was an pre-planned conspiracy to eliminate him in the jail by his enemies related to this case by poisoning him'. It then sought the inquiry file on the basis of which the inquiry report dated August 29, 2019, was given, 'be called from the Senior Law Officer, Prison Head Quarters, New Delhi, through DG (Prison)' and posted the matter for hearing next on June 6. After he was granted bail in both the money laundering case linked to the alleged scam, being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the corruption case being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), James had told the court that Delhi, for him, was a larger prison than Tihar. As per the CBI probe in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, a contract for the supply of 12 VVIP/non-VVIP helicopters was awarded to AgustaWestland for Rs 3,726.96 crore, and an agreement to this effect was executed on February 8, 2010, between the defence ministry and the UK firm. The agency alleged that former chief of air staff S P Tyagi, between 2005 and 2007, approved reducing the altitude ceiling for VVIP helicopters from 6,000 to 4,500 metres. This allowed AgustaWestland to enter the fray after being disqualified in 2002, as per the CBI probe. The central agency also alleged that undue favour was given to AgustaWestland for awarding the contract of procurement of VVIP helicopters in its favour by accepting illegal gratification from it through middlemen.
India Today
29-05-2025
- India Today
If Tihar is your address, stay there: Supreme Court dismisses Christian Michel's plea
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a plea by Christian Michel James, an accused in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam, seeking further modification of his bail who has spent over six years in Tihar Jail, had approached the apex court stating that he is unable to provide a residential address where he would stay post-release, as required under the conditions of his displeasure, the bench remarked, 'If you have a permanent address inside Tihar Jail, then stay there. What can we do? We granted you bail, and you don't even want to fulfil the conditions?' During the hearing, the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) counsel submitted that the Delhi High Court had already granted Michel relief by waiving the requirement of a local surety, allowing him to deposit cash in lieu of lawyer, Advocate Aljo Joseph, reiterated that his client has no local address in Delhi and no family available to comply with the bail conditions. He emphasised the logistical difficulty of meeting the address requirement after years of this, the bench retorted, 'You don't have family? No one to help? Someone must be giving instructions to your lawyers. Whoever is coordinating outside can help arrange an address. If they can direct your legal case, they can manage this too.'Finding no merit in the request, the court dismissed the plea, reinforcing that bail conditions must be met and the onus is on Michel and his team to Watch
