Air India Plane Crash Report: Discussion has intensified across the country after the preliminary inquiry report of the Air India Dreamliner aircraft accident in Ahmedabad on June 12. 260 people died in this accident. After the report, where many questions are being raised, the aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) former Director General Group Captain and Beindo Handa (retired) have cautioned people to conclude in a hurry.
He said in a conversation with NDTV PROFIT, ‘Preliminary reports and final reports are often different. Therefore, the facts that have come out at the moment are only the initial signs. He said that he himself has investigated more than 100 aircraft accidents, including the 2020 Kozhikode accident.
Accident very serious, aircraft burnt up to 90%
On June 12, flight AI-171, which was Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, collided with a medical college hostel just 32 seconds after flying from Ahmedabad. This accident became one of the biggest aircraft accidents in India. Only one of the 241 passengers aboard the aircraft survived, while more than 20 people were also killed on the ground. Handa said that this incident is also challenging because about 90 percent of the aircraft has been burnt, which can cause many technical obstacles in the investigation.
How to stop fuel cutoff switch, secret now
According to AAIB’s initial report, both engines stopped a few seconds after the takeoff. The report stated that the fuel cutoff switch, which controls the fuel supply in the engine, moved within a second in the event of ‘Run’ to ‘Cutoff’. This stopped the fuel in the engine and the thrust ended.
In the Cockpit Voice Records (CVR), a pilot was heard saying -‘Why did you stop fuel?’ The second pilot replies – ‘I did not.’ This raises the question whether the fuel switches were automatically triggered or there was any technical disturbance.
‘Preliminary report should not be considered final’
Group Captain Handa clearly said, ‘The report that has just come now gives information about the incidents of 30 seconds. No one has been accused in this and this is not a conclusion. He said that initial reports and final conclusions are different in most cases, so it is too early to make opinions in some direction.
Necessary data received from black box
When asked if the black box (which contains flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders) to be sent to Boeing or any other manufacturer to extract data, he said – ‘I don’t think I need to do so. All data from beginning to crash is available with the investigation team.
Investigation will be very complicated and long
Handa said that every possible technical reason will be simultaneous in this case. He said, ‘This accident is more difficult than the Kozhikode accident because the structure of the aircraft was left there, but it is not so here.’ In the Kozhikode accident, a Boeing slipped from the 737 runway, in which 21 people died.
Final report deadline not fixed
Will the final report of this accident come within 12 months set by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization)? On this question, Group Captain Handa replied- ‘We should not expect a miracle. The investigation of the aircraft accident is a very wide and complex process.
He informed that the investigation will be done according to the manual of ICAO, which Aaib has also adopted. Although he also said that the Aaib team will try its best to come as soon as possible, but the real time will depend on what information comes up during the investigation. He clearly said- ‘Anyone, even the current AAIB chief cannot say when the final report will come.’