The tragic crash of Air India flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on June 12 marks the first-ever fatal crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner – an aircraft that had several high-profile teething issues but has proven to be a reliable and incredibly safe aircraft.
But in the hours after the aircraft fell from the skies just moments after takeoff on Thursday afternoon, there are a lot more questions than there are answers.
Crash investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington DC are racing to Ahmedabad to assist Indian authorities in getting to the bottom of what caused this terrible accident.
What we know so far
- Flight AI-171 was operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which was delivered new to Air India on January 21, 2014.
- The plane had 230 passengers and 12 crew members onboard (two pilots and 10 flight attendants).
- Just seconds after taking off, the plane suddenly lost height and crashed into a hostel building for trainee pilots.
- The aircraft reached a maximum altitude of 650 feet before crashing just beyond the boundary of the airport.
- The majority of the passengers and crew are believed to have died in the crash.
How many Boeing 787s are there?
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an extremely popular widebody aircraft used by more than 75 airlines around the world. According to Boeing, 1,189 Dreamliners have been delivered to operators, and around 1,100 are in active commercial service.
The First Boeing 787 Dreamliner was delivered to ANA All Nippon Airlines on October 26, 2011. Air India was one of the first operators of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and took delivery of its first 787-8 in September 2012.
With so many Dreamliners in service, the worldwide fleet carries around half a million passengers every day.
Previous Boeing 787 issues
Within a couple of years of the Boeing 787 entering commercial service, several early operators of the airliner experienced significant issues with lithium-ion batteries installed on the aircraft.
The problems, which included several small fires, prompted the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to order airlines to ground the 787 Dreamliner – the first such emergency airworthiness directive since the 1970s.
Boeing has also faced manufacturing issues with the Boeing 787 on several occasions and was forced to stop deliveries while the FAA investigated.
What caused the crash of Flight AI-171?
It’s far too early to say what caused the crash of Air India flight AI-171, although there are already some theories:
- According to some reports, the last words spoken by the pilots to air traffic control were “engine failure.” The manufacturer of the engines, GE Aerospace, says it has activated its emergency response team to help in the investigation.
- Eyewitness video shows that the landing gear was still down at the time of the accident – at the same time, the flaps appear to be retracted, which would be unusual at this phase of flight.
- The two pilots were experienced aviators – Air India says the Captain had more than 8,000 hours of flying experience, while the First Officer had 1,100 hours.
What’s next?
Indian authorities will take the lead in investigating the cause of the crash, but the NTSB is sending its own team of investigators to assist as Boeing is, of course, a US company.
Retrieving the flight data recorders (commonly known as the black box) from the crash site will be essential in getting to the bottom of what caused the accident.
The investigation could take many months, although the authorities will be at pains to release preliminary information as soon as possible. In the meantime, speculation over the cause is unwise at best.
How terrible. Just awful.