A simulation showing what might have happened leading up to the crash of Air India Flight 171 has been making the rounds online, and it might provide some explanation as to what exactly happened for tragedy to strike the plane.
On June 12 shortly after take off, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into the hostel block of B. J. Medical College in the Meghaninagar neighbourhood of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India.
Of the 230 passengers and 12 crew members, only one person on board survived - a 40-year-old British man named Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. Residents in the hostel building were also killed.
Officials are currently investigating the events leading up to the crash, with India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) leading the inquiry into the cause.
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A black box was located at the site of the crash on Friday (June 13) and India’s civil aviation minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, said it would ‘significantly aid’ in finding out what happened.
The plane, which was heading to London Gatwick, lost altitude less than 60 seconds after leaving Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
As we wait for answers, a new simulation posted on YouTube by AiTelly explores some theories on why the plane crashed.
Shortly after take off, the aircraft climbed to an altitude of around 625 feet over the runway, before losing altitude rapidly. The flight crew issued a mayday call after 36 seconds, reporting a loss of power and thrust. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a highly experienced pilot, said 'mayday' in a last call to air traffic control.
“No thrust, losing power, unable to lift”, he was also heard saying.
One scenario according to the video involves a loud bang that the surviving passenger, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, reportedly heard before the crash, which could have been engine failure. However, no smoke is visible in the video footage of the crash.
“That absence of visible smoke raises the possibility of both engines may have lost thrust simultaneously,” the video explains. This issue could have risen from ‘mechanical failure in both of the engines’ or a ‘problem with the aircraft’s fuel system’.
Another scenario suggests there may have been an issue with the aircraft’s flaps, known as flight control surfaces. These are crucial for an aircraft’s movement and stability and flaps in particular, which are located on the wings, increase lift for take off and drag for landing.
An aviation expert has also weighed in on some of the theories on what could have gone wrong. Commercial airline pilot and YouTuber Captain Steve said based on the footage that the jet looks 'flat' while in the air and that the landing gear could still be seen down.
Meanwhile, there were no fires or sparks coming from the engines, which would have been a giveaway sign of engine failure or of a birdstrike.
However, Steve admits the problem could have been caused by a power loss.
"So that's theory number one, that they lost power on both engines that caused the loss of lift.
"The airplane stopped flying," he stated.
Regarding the bird strike theory, the pilot said it would have to involve a 'lot of birds to foul out both engines' to cause the crash.
"We don't see any indications coming out of the back of the engine that that happened - you'd see flames, you'd see sparks, you'd see something as those engines were kind of coming apart," he explained.
In the second theory, the pilot addressed concerns that the plane took off without its flaps up.
However, he ruled that out, as he said planes have two electronic checklists which are 'integral' - in other words, the jet won't 'taxi out', let alone take off, without the flaps deployed properly.
"So they would have had to override manually both of those checklists," Steve continued.
He also said when the flaps are not deployed, 'it makes a racket' with a big red light, caution light and a 'deafening' horn.
Steve went on to give his verdict of what he thought really happened, in his opinion.
“I think the pilot flying said to the co-pilot said 'gear up' at the appropriate time,” he began.
“I think the co-pilot grabbed the flap handle and raised the flaps, instead of the gear. If that happened - and this is a big if - this explains a lot of why this airplane stopped flying."
He cautioned that these are just theories right now.
Topics: Air India, World News, Plane, YouTube
Gregory Robinson