Air India plane crash investigation focuses on ‘mistake’ made by pilots
The investigation into the Air India crash that happened last month is now well underway (Picture: Reuters)
Investigators looking into the Air India crash that killed 260 people are trying to uncovering a ‘mistake’ made by the pilots.
Early assessments by US officials suggest the crash was not caused by problems with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The findings suggest that switches controlling fuel flow to the jet’s two engines were turned off.
This then led to an apparent loss of thrust shortly after takeoff.
Pilots on aircraft use the switches to start the jet’s engines, shut them down, or reset them in certain emergencies.
These switches would normally be on during flight, and it is unclear how or why they were turned off.
The US investigators have said that it is unclear whether the move was accidental or intentional, or whether there was an attempt to turn them back on, according to the Wall Street Journal.
If the switches were off this could explain why the jet’s emergency-power generator—known as a ram air turbine, or RAT was activated before the aircraft crashed.
Attention has turned towards the pilot Sumeet Sabharwal (Picture: UNKNOWN)
A preliminary report is expected to be issued by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau which is leading the probe.
Air India said that Sumeet Sabharwal, a pilot who served as the flight’s captain, logged over 10,000 hours flying wide-body, or larger, aircraft.
His co-pilot, Clive Kunder, had over 3,400 hours of experience.
The airline has in recent times worked to turn around its operations after decades under state ownership.
The Air India crash was the first fatal accident involving Boeing’s Dreamliner.
The Dreamliner is used on international, long-haul routes and has an excellent safety record until the Air India crash.
It comes at a time when Boeing is trying to recover from a string of safety and quality problems.
There was only one survivor from the plane crash (Picture: ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)
The Air India flight was carrying 242 people from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick before it crashed shortly after takeoff in June.
The plane crashed into a medical college about one mile southwest of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
The aircraft carried 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese nationals.
A British man, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, is the sole survivor of the plane crash.
Larry Magid: Internet Governance Forum focuses on protecting kids News I traveled to Lillestrøm, Norway, in late June for the annual United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF). Unlike many UN gatherings that primarily involve government officials, the IGF is a multistakeholder event, bringing together representatives from governments, universities, advocacy groups and the tech industry from around the world. I attended…
Larry Magid: Internet Governance Forum focuses on protecting kids News I traveled to Lillestrøm, Norway, in late June for the annual United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF). Unlike many UN gatherings that primarily involve government officials, the IGF is a multistakeholder event, bringing together representatives from governments, universities, advocacy groups and the tech industry from around the world. I attended…
Travelers may no longer be required to remove shoes before boarding a plane News By MICHELLE CHAPMAN, Associated Press Business Writer For the first time in almost 20 years, travelers may no longer be required to take off their shoes during security screenings at certain U.S. airports. The Transportation Security Administration is looking to abandon the additional security step that has for years bedeviled…
First-of-its-kind electric plane touches down at Centennial Airport News Dozens gathered in the doorway of an open hangar at Centennial Airport on Wednesday, watching as a first-of-its-kind electric plane touched down in front of a background of picturesque Colorado mountains and rolled into a press conference. The plane’s quiet hum, sounding more like a fan than the roar of…
Travelers may no longer be required to remove shoes before boarding a plane News By MICHELLE CHAPMAN, Associated Press Business Writer For the first time in almost 20 years, travelers may no longer be required to take off their shoes during security screenings at certain U.S. airports. The Transportation Security Administration is looking to abandon the additional security step that has for years bedeviled…
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
