How the Air India Crash Investigation Is Moving Forward
Share this article:
In less than 40 seconds after take-off, Air India Flight 171 met a devastating fate, crashing into a densely populated area of Ahmedabad and leaving behind one of the most mystifying aviation disasters in India’s recent history. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner , en route to London Gatwick , was carrying 242 passengers and nearly 100 tonnes of fuel. A brief mayday call from the cockpit was the only warning before the aircraft lost altitude and plunged to the ground in flames.
The flight, piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and co-pilot Clive Kundar, took off at 13:39 local time. Moments later, the emergency transmission marked the final communication from the cockpit. What followed was a tragic chain of events that has since launched a high-stakes investigation involving India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), along with experts from Boeing, GE, Air India, Indian aviation authorities, and teams from the US and UK. As per ICAO guidelines, a preliminary report must be released within 30 days, with a final report expected within 12 months.
Investigators are now examining a range of possible causes. Could both engines have failed - perhaps due to bird strikes or contaminated fuel? Were the flaps not properly deployed, hampering lift during take-off in extreme heat? Was there an unnoticed maintenance error, or could an inadvertent crew action have cut fuel supply to the engines? These and other possibilities are under close scrutiny. Experts emphasise that investigations follow a process of triangulation and elimination, combining physical evidence from the crash site with extensive flight data and maintenance records.
The aircraft’s black boxes - the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder - have already been recovered and are expected to be instrumental in reconstructing the flight’s final moments. These devices capture a wide range of inputs, from throttle and flap positions to pilot conversations and background cockpit sounds. If data confirms that both engines were operating normally, attention will shift to the aircraft's aerodynamics and control systems. But if the engines were not producing power at the time of impact, the investigation could take a more serious turn.
The black box retrieved from the Air India Flight 171 crash site is said to be “severely damaged” and might be sent to the United States for detailed forensic testing and data recovery, according to senior government officials. The Civil Aviation Ministry is likely to decide on the matter within a day or so.
Experts point out that damage to the engine turbines could provide early clues. High-speed turbine fractures indicate active thrust, while less damage could signal power loss. The stakes are high, especially given that over 1,100 Boeing 787s are currently in operation worldwide. If the failure is found to be systemic, it could prompt swift regulatory action across the global aviation sector.
While India’s civil aviation ministry has so far found no major safety lapses in Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet during recent inspections, every aspect of this specific flight is being closely examined. Boeing, on its part, has stated, “Boeing will defer to India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) for information on Air India Flight 171, in line with UN ICAO protocol.”
The investigation will also delve into the aircraft’s maintenance logs, refuelling processes, fault histories, and even the crew’s training and simulator performance. Investigators are expected to check ACARS transmissions—automated reports sent to both Boeing and Air India - as well as the recent service history of components replaced or repaired. Every part, wire, and bolt from the wreckage will be meticulously studied, possibly moved to a secure facility for layout and analysis.
Modern technology has significantly enhanced crash investigations. As former NTSB official Peter Goelz points out, early flight recorders captured only a handful of parameters, while today's devices collect thousands of data points every second. This leap in capability helps teams quickly establish what happened, though determining why it happened still requires careful, time-consuming analysis.
As the investigation continues, the hope is that its findings will not only uncover the truth behind this heart-breaking crash but also strengthen global aviation safety for the future.
The flight, piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and co-pilot Clive Kundar, took off at 13:39 local time. Moments later, the emergency transmission marked the final communication from the cockpit. What followed was a tragic chain of events that has since launched a high-stakes investigation involving India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), along with experts from Boeing, GE, Air India, Indian aviation authorities, and teams from the US and UK. As per ICAO guidelines, a preliminary report must be released within 30 days, with a final report expected within 12 months.
Investigators are now examining a range of possible causes. Could both engines have failed - perhaps due to bird strikes or contaminated fuel? Were the flaps not properly deployed, hampering lift during take-off in extreme heat? Was there an unnoticed maintenance error, or could an inadvertent crew action have cut fuel supply to the engines? These and other possibilities are under close scrutiny. Experts emphasise that investigations follow a process of triangulation and elimination, combining physical evidence from the crash site with extensive flight data and maintenance records.
The aircraft’s black boxes - the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder - have already been recovered and are expected to be instrumental in reconstructing the flight’s final moments. These devices capture a wide range of inputs, from throttle and flap positions to pilot conversations and background cockpit sounds. If data confirms that both engines were operating normally, attention will shift to the aircraft's aerodynamics and control systems. But if the engines were not producing power at the time of impact, the investigation could take a more serious turn.
The black box retrieved from the Air India Flight 171 crash site is said to be “severely damaged” and might be sent to the United States for detailed forensic testing and data recovery, according to senior government officials. The Civil Aviation Ministry is likely to decide on the matter within a day or so.
Experts point out that damage to the engine turbines could provide early clues. High-speed turbine fractures indicate active thrust, while less damage could signal power loss. The stakes are high, especially given that over 1,100 Boeing 787s are currently in operation worldwide. If the failure is found to be systemic, it could prompt swift regulatory action across the global aviation sector.
While India’s civil aviation ministry has so far found no major safety lapses in Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet during recent inspections, every aspect of this specific flight is being closely examined. Boeing, on its part, has stated, “Boeing will defer to India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) for information on Air India Flight 171, in line with UN ICAO protocol.”
The investigation will also delve into the aircraft’s maintenance logs, refuelling processes, fault histories, and even the crew’s training and simulator performance. Investigators are expected to check ACARS transmissions—automated reports sent to both Boeing and Air India - as well as the recent service history of components replaced or repaired. Every part, wire, and bolt from the wreckage will be meticulously studied, possibly moved to a secure facility for layout and analysis.
Modern technology has significantly enhanced crash investigations. As former NTSB official Peter Goelz points out, early flight recorders captured only a handful of parameters, while today's devices collect thousands of data points every second. This leap in capability helps teams quickly establish what happened, though determining why it happened still requires careful, time-consuming analysis.
As the investigation continues, the hope is that its findings will not only uncover the truth behind this heart-breaking crash but also strengthen global aviation safety for the future.
Next Story