logo
'Investigations of this magnitude take time': US probe agency slams media reports on Air India 171 crash; calls them 'premature and speculative'

'Investigations of this magnitude take time': US probe agency slams media reports on Air India 171 crash; calls them 'premature and speculative'

Time of India6 days ago
Air India 171 crash (AP)
NEW DELHI: The US-based National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which oversees investigations into major aviation and transportation incidents, on Friday slammed recent media coverage of the preliminary report on the Air India Flight 171 crash, calling the reports "premature and speculative.
"
Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the NTSB, said in a statement: "Recent media reports on the Air India 171 crash are premature and speculative. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau just released its preliminary report. Investigations of this magnitude take time. We fully support the AAIB's public appeal, which was released Thursday, and will continue to support its ongoing investigation. All investigative questions should be addressed to the AAIB.
"
The crash happened shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport. The Air India flight, heading to London with 241 people onboard, crashed into a nearby medical hostel. The incident claimed lives of 260 people. While, only one passenger survived.
The AAIB's 15-page preliminary report, released a month after the incident, outlines what has been discovered so far. It says that right after takeoff, the aircraft faced sudden engine failure, confusion in the cockpit, and failed attempts to recover the flight.
Following the release, the AAIB issued a public appeal on Thursday, warning against spreading "selective and unverified reporting" by some international media. It stressed that the investigation is being carried out professionally, following all rules and global standards.
The AAIB also said the crash has understandably shocked the public, but this is not the time to spread panic or fear about the Indian aviation industry based on unconfirmed information.
The Bureau made it clear that the report's purpose is only to explain "what happened - not why" it happened -- and warned against jumping to conclusions.
The AAIB added, "It is too early to reach any definite conclusions," and said that a final report will be released later. That report will include the root causes of the crash and recommendations to avoid similar accidents in the future.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

FAA rules out mechanical failure in June 12 Air India 787 crash
FAA rules out mechanical failure in June 12 Air India 787 crash

New Indian Express

time2 hours ago

  • New Indian Express

FAA rules out mechanical failure in June 12 Air India 787 crash

CHENNAI: The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reportedly concluded that there was no mechanical fault in the fuel control system of the Boeing 787 aircraft that crashed on June 12, killing 260 people. The agency's statement confirms that the plane's fuel control units and switch mechanisms were functioning normally and showed no signs of failure or inadvertent movement. Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick when it crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The crash resulted in the deaths of all 241 people onboard and 19 individuals on the ground. Only one survivor, 27-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, was found in critical condition and remains under medical observation. The investigation is being led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), with support from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). Preliminary findings reveal that both of the aircraft's fuel control switches moved from the "RUN" position to "CUTOFF" within seconds of takeoff, causing both engines to lose power. The switches were returned to "RUN" within 10 to 14 seconds, but the engines failed to regain sufficient thrust. Cockpit voice recordings captured one pilot questioning why the fuel had been cut off, while the other denied having done so. These recordings have raised questions about whether the switches were moved intentionally or by accident. The FAA's inspection confirmed that the switch locking mechanisms were intact and that no mechanical fault led to the fuel cutoff. Reports quoted FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford stating that the aircraft's systems performed as designed and there is no current plan to issue design changes or additional safety bulletins. Boeing has also confirmed that no systemic issues have been found in the 787's fuel systems based on inspections of its fleet and data supplied by operators, including Air India. While mechanical failure has been ruled out, the possibility of human involvement remains under active investigation. Former US safety officials and aviation experts have described the switch movements as highly unusual and not consistent with normal flight procedures. The Indian AAIB has expanded its probe to consider whether the crash could have involved intentional action. On Tuesday, Air India also confirmed that it has completed all Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)-mandated inspections of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) locking mechanisms on its Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft, including those operated by Air India Express. 'No issues were found with the said locking mechanism,' the airline said, adding that voluntary checks had already begun on July 12, two days before the DGCA directive was issued on July 14. India's DGCA had separately issued warnings to Air India over systemic safety lapses, including failures in fatigue management, inadequate crew training, and a lack of operational oversight. The regulator directed Air India to complete fuel switch mechanism checks across its fleet by July 21, which the airline confirmed had been done without any anomalies. Although speculation about pilot actions continues, the AAIB has not confirmed any conclusions regarding crew intent or error. A full investigation report, expected sometime later, will provide detailed analysis including the complete cockpit transcript and system data. Authorities and aviation experts have urged the public and media to avoid drawing premature conclusions as the investigation continues. The cause of the dual engine flameout remains officially undetermined, pending the outcome of further analysis of flight data, cockpit recordings, and crew background.

As Beijing prepares to build world's biggest hydropower dam, a look at the Yarlung Tsangpo River
As Beijing prepares to build world's biggest hydropower dam, a look at the Yarlung Tsangpo River

Indian Express

time3 hours ago

  • Indian Express

As Beijing prepares to build world's biggest hydropower dam, a look at the Yarlung Tsangpo River

Calling it the 'project of the century,' Beijing has announced the construction of the world's biggest hydropower dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibetan territory. The project was introduced in 2020 as part of China's 14th Five-Year Plan. According to reports, it is to consist of five cascade hydropower stations, producing an estimated 300 million megawatt hours of electricity annually at a cost of approximately 1.2 trillion yuan (US$ 167 billion). The dam has drawn criticism from the lower riparian states of India and Bangladesh as well as Tibetan groups and environmentalists. Let's take a look at the river, its hydropower potential, and its future amid climate change. The Yarlung Tsangpo is the largest river on the Tibetan plateau, originating from a glacier near Mount Kailash. 'Tsangpo' means river in Tibetan. According to academic Costanza Rampini in the Political Economy of Hydropower in Southwest China and Beyond (2021), the basin spreads over more than 500,000 sq km of land in China, India, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, 'though 80% of it lies in China and India.' It runs 2,057 km in Tibet before flowing into India. One fascinating feature of the river is the sharp 'U' turn that it takes, known as the Great Bend, at the proximity of Mount Namcha Barwa near the Indian border. In India, the Yarlung Tsangpo enters Arunachal Pradesh as Siang. The Siang then gathers more streams and flows down towards Assam where it is joined by the Lohit and Dibang rivers. Further downstream, it is known as the Brahmaputra, which in turn flows through Assam before entering Bangladesh. 'Upon entering that country it undergoes one more change in nomenclature, this time accompanied by a sex change – the 'male' Brahmaputra, for some reason, becomes the 'female' Jamuna,' remarks author Samrat Choudhury in The Braided River: A Journey Along The Brahmaputra (2021). The Brahmaputra, as Jamuna, makes its way towards an eventual confluence with the Ganga, known in Bangladesh as Padma. 'This great river of many great rivers finally flows into the Bay of Bengal, after undergoing yet another change of name as the Meghna,' notes Choudhury. 'Like the Nile in Egypt,' says Tibetologist Claude Arpi in Water: Culture, Politics and Management (2009), 'the Yarlung Tsangpo has fed the Tibetan civilisation that flourished along its valleys, particularly in Central Tibet.' Approximately 130 million people live within the Yarlung Tsangpo river basin, many of whom are the rural poor. Rampini adds, 'Indeed, in North-east India, the YTB [Yarlung-Tsangpo-Brahmaputra] is often referred to as the 'lifeline' of the region.' As the YTB descends from the Himalayan mountains to the plains of Assam, it crosses steep slopes and gathers strong energy, which gets scattered in the form of intense summer floods, especially in India and Bangladesh. 'The energy that the YTB gains throughout its course also puts the river at the centre of China's and India's recent renewable energy development strategies,' says Rampini. For long, both countries have been mobilising their engineering capacities to dam their respective stretches of the river and harness optimal hydropower. China has constructed several dams along tributaries of the Yarlung Tsangpo, such as the Pangduo and Zhikong dams on the Lhasa River. In 2014, it completed the Zangmu Dam along the main stem of the Yarlung Tsangpo. The Indian government, too, has expedited the clearance of big dams along the YTB and its tributaries. Although Beijing has assured India that dams along the Chinese stretch of YTB would have no downstream transboundary impacts, India remains vigilant and anxious. 'Perhaps even more concerning to Indian officials than Chinese dams along the YTB,' argues Rampini, 'is China's controversial multi-billion-USD plan to divert water from its southern regions to its more arid regions, a project known as the South-North Water Transfer.' According to Rampini, the case is further complicated by the fact that the river crosses one of the disputed boundaries between India and China — the McMahon Line, which separates the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh from Tibet. The McMahon Line was negotiated in 1914 by representatives of the new Republic of China, the Tibetan government, and the British government. India and the international community continue to recognise it as the legal border between North-east India and the current-day Tibet Autonomous Region of China. However, since gaining control over Tibet in the mid-20th century, China has contested the border, arguing that Tibet was not an independent state at the time of the treaty, making it invalid. This has led both China and India to establish a permanent military presence on their respective sides of the contested line and, in 1962, the border became the site of the last India-China war. 'The Brahmaputra, or Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet, is counted among the world's ten major rivers,' asserts Arpi. Rampini adds that there is also no major international water treaty governing the YTB. Bangladesh, as the lowest riparian country in the basin, feels the most threatened, experts say. Scholars argue that cooperation over the management of the Yarlung Tsangpo, or Brahmaputra, is vital now, given the impact of climate change. 'The flows of the YTB and the ferocity of its floods are highly dependent on the melting of Himalayan snow and ice,' says Rampini. As human activities drive up surface temperatures, the Himalayas could experience between 15% and 78% glacier mass losses by 2100. Rampini explains, 'As glaciers retreat, glacier-fed rivers such as the YTB will first experience an increase in runoff, as more glacial melt swells their flows.' While this may cause monsoon floods now, the long-term repercussions are worrisome. 'In the long term, as glaciers continue to shrink, the YTB could experience a near 20% decrease in mean upstream water supply between 2046 and 2065, threatening the livelihoods of communities that rely on the YTB flows,' writes Rampini. Additionally, lesser river water will weaken the Chinese and Indian dam-building efforts along the YTB, since hydroelectricity generation depends on river flow. The YTB river system ties together the fates of China, India, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. Scholars warn that unchecked dam-building efforts along the Yarlung Tsangpo and the current mega project may eventually lead to a possible 'water war' between the two nations.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store