Can’t be a bird hit; pilot may have lost control: Telangana Aviation Director Bharath Reddy on Ahmedabad crash

India witnessed the deadliest air disaster on June 12. An Air India flight 171 (Boeing 787- a Dreamliner) from Ahmedabad to London-Gatwick crashed just after takeoff.

Two hundred forty-one of 242 people, including the cabin crew on board, were killed in the crash. A passenger miraculously survived. Several people, including doctors, lost their lives at the crash site.

Though the investigation is on, experts in the field have attributed the cause to a possible engine failure, bird strike, or a combination of training, maintenance, or technology issues, and more.

To understand what could have gone wrong, NewsMeter spoke to VN Bharath Reddy, Aviation Director, Telangana government. He is a former helicopter pilot and also an aeronautical engineering expert. Excerpts:

NM: What could have gone wrong?

VN: It looks like the pilot (Sumeet Sabarwal, who had an experience of 8,200 flying hours) could have lost control of the aircraft. Secondly, the engines would have failed. I am aware that many have speculated a bird strike to be one of the reasons, but both engines cannot fail at one time. The probability of both engines getting stalled at the same time because of a bird strike is very less. Engines getting hit by birds are common, and we encounter this issue at various airports. But two engines simultaneously failing is the rarest of rare case. Another possibility is insufficient fuel intake. It is also a remote chance to be a cause. Because before takeoff, the aircraft is generally filled beyond capacity. Remember, this was a long flight (Ahmedabad to London). It is important to note that the ground staff won’t give clearance unless the aircraft has been refilled. The ground staff carries out 360-degree mandatory inspections before takeoff. The pilot and copilot also carry out checks in the cockpit and only take off when it is fit to fly. They perform prescribed parameter checks of both engines on the carpet display. When they are thoroughly confident of the functioning, they take off.

(Note: AI171 departed Ahmedabad at 08:08:44 UTC (13:38 local time. The aircraft climbed to a maximum recorded barometric altitude of 625 feet at 08:08:46 before losing altitude. The last received data from AI171 by flight radar24 occurred at 08:08:51. Flight radar is an online tool monitoring aviation across the globe stated)

NM: What is a 'Mayday' call?

VN: This is a standard terminology for any emergency inside the aircraft. A 'Mayday distress call' is issued when the cockpit crew encounters any issue with the aircraft. It is aimed to attract the attention of the nearest airport so that an emergency or a precautionary landing could be facilitated. But what we noticed in the Ahmedabad-London flight is that there wasn’t any time to react because it crashed shortly after takeoff. So the pilot hardly had any time to take control in the air or do any corrective measures.

Generally, when an emergency occurs in an aircraft while flying at 10000 to 30000 feet, there is time to prepare for a landing. The pilot has little time to take corrective measures. So glide the aircraft to the closest possible airport, and if he's not able to do it, go to some open spaces and then attempt the best possible safe landing. But unfortunately, this wasn’t the case here.

NM: The aircraft was delivered to Air India in January 2014. Due you think it would have developed any faults?

VN: Generally, the age of the craft in this particular case is in question. It is not a very old aircraft in aviation. They are usually considered big feet and are known for their performance. The manufacturer that designs the aircraft does it in a way that its components are designed for life. Some have to go through periodic changes, however. The age of the components is based on the number of flying hours.

At any given point, it is mandatory to ensure that maintenance is carried out regularly. There is a governing body that checks the safety norms of the airlines. I don’t think anyone could get away if the craft is not fit to fly. Or they compromise with the safety norms or maintenance. So, unless the engines are ok, I don't think they would be allowed to fly. There are hundreds of Boeing aircraft currently operating across the world.

Mind you, this is the first crash involving a Boeing.

The intensity of any crash is high because they are flying against gravity. And the heavier the aircraft (weight of the craft, passengers, fuel, and luggage), the heavier the crash impact. The pilot could not hold the craft in the air against gravity, hence it crashed.

NM: Many died of burns caused due to the explosion. Is there any mechanism to control the explosion during a crash?

VN: The aircraft does have an inbuilt fire-arresting system. In this case, it would not have controlled flames because it was a high-impact crash. Though the administration has immediately reacted, not much could have been done. Even the crew doesn’t have time to react.

NM: One passenger miraculously escaped. What would have happened inside?

VN: In many road accidents, even when the crash impact is high, the passenger or the driver survives, or they are automatically thrown out. In this case, when the plane crashed into the hostel building, the exit door would have been hit, and the man was able to open it without a struggle.

NM: Investigators recovered the Black Box, considered crucial evidence. What do we expect out of this?

VN: The Black Box decodes the CVR and the FDR recordings. This would primarily help the investigators in a major way. The pilots definitely would have made a bit of conversation among themselves, trying to get the flight under control or at least make an attempt to land. This brings a little possibility to understand what went wrong. Black Box usually records conversations between the crew with the ATC and inside the aircraft with the passengers.

The box is designed in a way that it is fire or waterproof. Hence, the evidence will be intact.