Air India 171 Crash Report Out: Who Pushed Switch To Cut Off Position?
On June 12, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, departed Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 pm, bound for London Gatwick. Within 32 seconds of takeoff, the aircraft crashed into a medical hostel near the airport, killing 241 of the 242 passengers and crew on board and 19 people on the ground.
A probe report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) was released last night. The report points to a series of possibilities and also raises multiple questions on what transpired inside the doomed flight. According to data extracted from the aircraft's Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR), commonly referred to as the black box, Flight 171 carried out a routine takeoff. The Dreamliner accelerated to a takeoff speed of 153 knots or roughly 283 kmph. It then reached a maximum airspeed of 180 knots or roughly 333 kmph, climbing steadily as expected. The flap setting was recorded at five degrees, and the landing gear lever remained in the 'DOWN' position, both standard takeoff procedures.
