Air India crash: Mistakes by pilot, bird collision, engine malfunction contributing to catastrophe
Unraveling the Mystery behind Air India Flight AI171
The enigmatic crash of Air India Flight AI171, the Dreamliner Boeing 788-8, left researchers scratching their heads. The aircraft made a distress call shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, only to disappear from the radar at the 625th kilometer (190 meters) mark.
According to Flightradar24, the plane plummeted close to seconds after the initial climb, skimming a residential building before colliding.
The unfortunate passenger count consisted of 242 souls, among them was 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh.
Diverse aviation analysts have put forth and debated various theories regarding the catastrophic event.
ABORTED LAUNCH
Dr. Sonya Brown, a senior lecturer in aerospace design at the University of New South Wales, believes the footage suggests an engine stall.
"It does seem to me like a significant loss of thrust. Thrust essentially propels you forward, and aircraft lift is proportional to speed squared. If you lack thrust and suffer speed loss — and radar data suggests after the initial short climb, it was losing speed — you can stall," Brown explained.
PILOT ERRORS
Neil Hansford, a seasoned pilot and chairman of Strategic Aviation Solutions consultancy, believes pilot error could be one of the contributors to the disaster.
BIRD STRIKE
Bird strikes, an unfortunate event in aviation, is another theory that suggests engine failure may have led the plane to stall. Despite the rarity of a bird strike crippling both engines, it's not implausible that such an event occurred. Hansford mentions a remarkable encounter of a bird strike at the Ahmedabad airport on a chilly Wednesday morning, conditions that could have increased the likelihood of such an incident.
As the investigation continues, both black boxes have been recovered, offering invaluable information to investigators. Preliminary reports are anticipated to shed light on the exact cause of the crash. Currently, there is no definitive confirmation of a bird strike as a contributing factor.
Dr. Sonya Brown, suggesting an engine stall, noted that the footage of Air India Flight AI171's crash might indicate a significant loss of thrust, which could lead to a speed loss and subsequently, a stall in the aircraft.
Investigators should consider pilot errors as a potential contributor to the unfortunate incident of Air India Flight AI171, according to Neil Hansford, a seasoned pilot and chairman of Strategic Aviation Solutions consultancy.
Bird strikes, unfortunate events in aviation, could potentially explain the engine failure that led to the stall of Air India Flight AI171. Hansford mentioned the possibility of a bird strike at Ahmedabad airport, which might have increased the likelihood of such an incident.
