'I flew Boeing planes for 40 years – the Air India crash was bound to happen'
A retired pilot who flew Boeing planes for 40 years says he's not surprised by the devastating Air India crash that killed all but one person on board. Harrowing footage shows the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner smashing into the ground before erupting into a fireball shortly after take-off.
It was bound for Gatwick, London, after taking off in Ahmedabad, India, with 242 on board. One person, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, survived. Ross Aimer, a pilot for top airlines including United Airlines from 1964 to 2004, says he's not surprised by the crash given recent issues with the 787. Aimer said: "I'm shocked, but knowing some of the issues with the 787, I'm not that surprised. It was bound to happen.
"It's way too early to speculate. There's no way we know enough to even think about what may have gone wrong, but I saw the initial video of the take-off. The aircraft was full of fuel and bound to Gatwick. It's a tragedy, but we have no idea what may have caused the airplane to crash.
"Looks like the weather may not have been an issue because you probably saw the video, it's in clear skies. The only thing I could think of is possibly an engine failure, because the aircraft sinks on takeoff. It's at its highest gross weight at that time."
It is the first crash involving the model since its introduction in 2011, but there have been issues that have forced some flights to be grounded. The US safety regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has had to investigate a number of concerns over the years, reports The Guardian.
It also comes after Boeing was rocked by two crashes involving its 737 Max model in Indonesia and Ethiopia in 2018 and 2019. Aimer, who lives in California, said he suspects authorities will be considering grounding the plane.
He added: "It looks to me like that aircraft basically sank into the ground. I don't know about the flaps, but the 787 is perhaps the most advanced technology available at this moment.
"Air India may have had the Rolls-Royce Trent engine option on it. There was some controversy on that engine itself. It's called the Trent engine, and it had been grounded for a while.
"It had issues with corrosion and cracks within the engine. So it's not only the aircraft itself, it's a possibility that there was an engine issue too. I'm sure the authorities will look into this. In the past we've had engines and aircraft grounded, and I'm sure if they find out that there are any issues to be looked at, they will think about grounding the airplane."
Authorities said there were 159 Indian nationals on the plane, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. It is reported the only remaining survivor was a British man. Astonishing footage shows one man walking away from the wreckage before being pictured on a hospital bed.
Asked what would be going through his mind if he was still an active pilot, Aimer said: "Like any pilot with some experience would do, I'd be extremely cautious. But that's a normal way till we find out what exactly happened. To make a blanket statement that the aircraft is not safe would be irresponsible.
"But I'm not surprised, because we know there were a lot of problems with this aircraft, and they continue to have issues with manufacturing." He added: "I'm afraid so (people may lose confidence in aviation). I don't blame people being leery about aviation after all these crashes that are happening."
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