Engine failure or bird hit suspected: Experts

Ahmedabad, Jun 12: Failure of both engines or a bird hit soon after take-off could be among the probable causes that led to the fatal crash of a London-bound Air India aircraft with 242 people onboard, according to experts.

Three senior wide-body pilots, who are also instructors, said that looking at the videos of the crash available publicly, it seems that the engines could not gain the required thrust needed for the take-off, resulting in a fatal crash into the residential area seconds after it took off.

The specific reasons for the crash of the Boeing 787-8 aircraft flying from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick will be known only after the completion of the detailed probe by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

The experts mentioned the possible causes based on the available visuals of the aircraft as it went down.

One of the commanders said it does not seem to be the case of one engine failure because in such a scenario, the aircraft would have been swinging but here, the aircraft was steady.

ìSo, there is the possibility of both the engines failing... there could have been a loss of thrust in both engines. But these are only possibilities,î a commander said, adding that from the images, it appears that either the flaps were up or landing gear was down at the time of take off.

The second commander mentioned that the way the aircraft went down, indicated that there was a lack of thrust in both the engines.

ìThis could happen if both engines had flameout due to a bird hit,î he said.

The third commander said the aircraft's both engines might have lost power. One engine might have failed and possibly due to the landing gear being not retracted after take-off, the second engine might not have had adequate power.

While there are suggestions that the aircraft's weight could have been higher than the permissible limit, the commander said if that was the case, then the take-off itself would not have been possible.

The weight of the aircraft determines the V1 speed or take-off speed.

If the calculated speed is lower than required, the engines will struggle to get the plane airborne.

The Boeing 787-8 aircraft -- VT-ANB -- operating flight AI 171 took off from runway 23 at the Ahmedabad airport to London Gatwick.

A MAYDAY call was given to the air traffic controller soon after the takeoff but thereafter, no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by the air traffic controller, aviation regulator DGCA said.

ìAircraft, immediately after departure from runway 23, fell on ground outside the airport perimeter,î the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement.

In a video message, Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson said, ìInvestigations will take time but anything we can do now we are doing.î