Air India Flight 171 crashed just 40 seconds after take-off from Ahmedabad, plunging into a crowded neighbourhood and killing all 242 people on board. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, bound for London Gatwick, issued a brief mayday call before losing altitude and crashing in flames, making it one of India’s most puzzling aviation disasters in recent memory.
Investigators now face the complex task of examining wreckage, flight data, and cockpit voice recordings to understand what went catastrophically wrong. Under UN aviation rules, a preliminary report is due within 30 days, with a full report ideally in 12 months.
The aircraft was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and co-pilot Clive Kundar. Experts say a crash this soon after take-off — potentially a controlled flight into terrain — is extremely rare. Possible causes under investigation include dual engine failure from bird strikes or fuel contamination, flap configuration errors, maintenance faults, or inadvertent crew actions.
Investigators are focusing on the aircraft’s engines, which could reveal whether they were producing power at the moment of impact. If the engines were working, the probe will shift to flap settings or the aircraft’s flight management control system. Data from the plane’s Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders — already recovered — will be vital, tracking engine performance, thrust, flap positions, and cockpit sounds.
The wreckage, including turbine blades and fuel lines, will be examined for clues. Investigators will also review the aircraft’s service history, previous technical faults, pilot training records, and simulator performance. India’s civil aviation ministry has said that inspections of other Air India Dreamliners revealed no major concerns so far.
The investigation is being led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, with support from Boeing, engine maker GE, and regulators from the U.S. and U.K. Experts will also access maintenance logs, ACARS transmissions, refuelling data, and crew performance records.
With over 1,100 Boeing 787s in service globally, investigators must determine whether this was a unique failure or part of a broader safety issue. Former NTSB official Peter Goelz noted that while early technical clues often emerge quickly, understanding the root cause of such disasters takes much longer.
via BBC