Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Amid the growing suspicion about the caused the fatal incident, former pilot Ehsan Khalid has suggested that a loss of power may have contributed to the crash of Air India Flight AI-171, but it is unlikely that both engines failed simultaneously. 241 people died after an Air India flight crashed near the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon. The London-bound flight AI-171, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, took off at 1:17 PM but began descending minutes later. The aircraft crashed into the BJ Medical College and Hospital.
Former Pilot Rules Out Mid-Air Explosion
Speaking to ANI, Khalid said the exact cause will be determined only after analysing critical data sources such as the Flight Data Recorder, Cockpit Voice Recorder, and ACARS data. Citing the videos of the crash, he said that they suggest that there was no mid-air explosion as the plane went down while flying.
“The Flight Data Recorder, Cockpit Voice Recorder, and the ACARS data will provide the exact cause of the crash. The visuals show the aircraft went down while flying, which means there was no mid-air explosion. The loss of power could be due to engine malfunction, but it is very unlikely that both engines would lose power simultaneously,”
Khalid further pointed to a potential engine issue early in the flight, raising questions about why the landing gear remained down after take-off.
“The pilot gave a mayday call, meaning the failure was detected in the cockpit. They went airborne while handling that failure… But I don’t understand why the landing gear was still down…it is typically retracted immediately after take-off. This could suggest that a loss of engine power was detected beforehand,” Khalid added.
Khalid has cautioned against premature conclusions, labelling them unjust as there can be many factors.
“There are many variables, and any speculation would be unjust… The biggest question is why the landing gear was not up. The flight was only at a height of 600 feet… Whether it was a single failure or multiple issues, no one can say anything yet,” he told ANI.
Meanwhile, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed that a formal investigation into the crash has been launched by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), in accordance with international aviation safety protocols.
