Seat malfunction may have caused AI crash: Expert
In an interview with UNI, Muralidhar explained that aircraft pilot seats are designed to move both forward-backward and side-to-side to ensure proper access to flight controls. These seats are held in place by a latching mechanism, typically secured by a pin.
'It is suspected that the locking pin may have been broken or defective. During takeoff, when the pilot applied full power, the seat might have slid backward due to acceleration. As a result, the pilot's hand, which was on the throttle lever, could have unintentionally pulled it back to idle,' he said.
This sudden reduction in power during the rotation phase of takeoff could have led to a catastrophic loss of thrust, preventing the aircraft from gaining the necessary lift, Muralidhar added.
He also recalled a similar incident involving a Boeing 737, where a seat malfunction during takeoff led to a throttle rollback. In that case, the aircraft sustained damage and had to be called back mid-air.
Emphasising that this remains a probable cause and not a confirmed one, Muralidhar said the actual sequence of events can only be established after analysing the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR).
'Only the DFDR data can confirm if the throttle lever was pulled back due to the seat movement. Until then, this remains one of the possible scenarios under technical scrutiny,' he said.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
UNI BDN PRS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
United News of India
9 hours ago
- United News of India
At least 5 injured in plane crash in US New Jersey
New York, July 3 (UNI) A small aircraft reportedly crashed near the Cross Keys Airport in Williamstown, New Jersey, injuring at least five people, said local officials. The incident occurred on Wednesday around 5:30 p.m. local time (2130 GMT). All five injured individuals were transported to the Cooper University Hospital situated near Camden. Local authorities described the crash as a "mass casualty incident" that prompted a large emergency response. The cause of the crash is being invested. US aviation authorities are expected to examine the scene to determine what led to the incident. UNI XINHUA AKT RKM
United News of India
9 hours ago
- United News of India
4 dead, 38 missing after passenger ship sinks in Indonesia's Bali Strait
Jakarta, July 3 (UNI) Four people have been confirmed dead, 38 are missing, and 23 others survived after a passenger ship sunk in the Bali Strait of Indonesia on Thursday, a senior official from the East Java Search and Rescue Office, Tholeb Vatelehan, said. The wooden vessel, KM Tunu Pratama Jaya, was traveling from Ketapang seaport in Banyuwangi Regency, East Java, to Gilimanuk seaport in Jembrana Regency on Bali Island when it went down, according to the officials. "As many as 23 people survived the incident, four were dead, and 38 others remained missing," Vatelehan told Xinhua via phone. Search and rescue operations have since been launched from both Bali Island and East Java, as the incident occurred near the maritime boundary between the two regions. I Nyoman Sidakarya, head of the Bali Search and Rescue Office, confirmed the joint efforts. The Banyuwangi Search and Rescue Office deployed more than 20 personnel, along with a rigid inflatable boat and one additional vessel to assist in the operation, Vatelehan said. "Strong winds, large waves, and powerful currents are currently hampering the rescue efforts," he added. UNI XC AKT RKM
Indian Express
21 hours ago
- Indian Express
Vijay Rupani visited Boeing 737 cockpit two months before death in Dreamliner crash
Just two months before his death in the fatal crash of Air India flight AI 171 in Ahmedabad, former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was inside the cockpit of another passenger aircraft trying to understand its functioning. He made the visit on April 8 on the sidelines of a speech he delivered on 'One Nation, One Election' at the Indus University located near Rancharda village on Ahmedabad's outskirts. Rupani, following the speech, was given a tour of the Indus University and the Western India Institute of Aeronautics (WIIA), which are in the same campus. There, in the parking lot, lying among two-wheelers and four-wheelers, was a slightly bigger vehicle — a decommissioned Boeing 737-200 aircraft. Like the Dreamliner which crashed two months later, this aircraft was also manufactured by Boeing and had been flown by Air India before being grounded and retired some years back. It has been kept here for practical training purposes of students of aeronautical engineering. Describing his experience, Rupani had written on social media: 'Saw the working of the Boeing 737, Cessna, Zenith and Mig21 through their models and real ones at the Institute of Aeronautics.' He had also interacted with the students. Rupani was among the 241 people who died on June 12 when the AI 171 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into BJ Medical College's boys hostel less than a minute after take-off. He was headed to London as his daughter Radhika is based there. Shailesh Mandaliya, Rupani's longtime assistant, also confirmed his visit to the university and to the aircraft during his lecture in April. Captain Umang Jani, who is a faculty member at the university, had shown Rupani around. He told The Indian Express, 'Rupaniji visited the aircraft and we showed him the cockpit. He was very curious and asked us how the aircraft works. I tried to explain and answer his queries regarding the aircraft, the various controls in the cockpit and the functioning of the airliner.' Photos of the visit, shared on the former CM's social media pages, show him seated in the First Officer's seat, while Jani can be seen seated in the Captain's seat to his left. Behind them is Radhika Bhandari, Dean of Aviation at Indus University. Jani, who is an aeronautical engineer and a commercial pilot, said, 'He (Rupani) looked at the front and overhead panels and to a common man, the whole system looks highly complex. So he asked about the controls, instruments as well as the backup systems. We explained in layman's terms.'
