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Time of India
5 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
AI pilots carry simulator test after Ahmedabad crash; results show Boeing 787-8 kept flying
A group of senior Air India pilots recreated on simulators some adverse conditions, such as flying with higher weight and temperature, and with landing gear down and retracted wing flaps at 50 feet, with the results showing the Boeing 787-8 aircraft continued flying, sources said on Wednesday. The simulator test was carried out independently by the Air India Boeing 787 aircraft fleet trainers during a simulator training session at the airline's Mumbai facility within days of the crash of an Air India Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, sources said. When contacted, Air India said pilots conducted simulator tests on their own, and the airline had no role in that. Among the various theories doing the rounds initially regarding the possible causes of the Air India aircraft crash in Ahmedabad on June 12 that killed over 260 people, was that the pilot flew the aircraft with retracted flaps and gear down. "The pilots simulated AI 171 flight conditions on their own during the training session. They attempted to create some slightly adverse conditions like with higher weight and higher temperature, while keeping (landing) gear down and retracting (wing) flaps at 50 feet altitude," said a source. Live Events "In the simulator, the aircraft continued flying," he said. Flaps are movable panels, located along the trailing edge of an aircraft's wings, which get extended during takeoff and landing to increase the wing's surface area, which provides more 'lift' that keeps the plane flying. This additional aerodynamic force is crucial during low-speed flight, like takeoff or landing. Flaps are adjusted manually by either pilot, depending on the situation. In cruise flight, they remain retracted. The crash, one of the worst air disasters in India in decades, involved a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating as Air India flight AI 171 . The aircraft was en route to London's Gatwick Airport when it crashed into a medical hostel complex in Ahmedabad's Meghani Nagar area shortly after takeoff. Of the 242 people onboard, 241 were killed, with only one survivor. The total death toll stood at 260, including casualties on the ground. India's nodal aircraft accident probe agency, AAIB, launched a probe after the tragedy and constituted a multidisciplinary team on June 13. The team includes representatives from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an air traffic control officer, and an aviation medicine specialist. Last week, the government said data is being extracted from black boxes, and analysis of the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder is underway to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the fatal crash of the Air India plane in Ahmedabad on June 12.
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Air India plane crash: AI-generated fake reports, videos spreading misinformation; fraudsters exploiting vulnerability
Air India plane crash (Picture credit: AP) In the aftermath of the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad that claimed 275 lives on June 12, the spread of misinformation, powered by AI-generated content, has stirred fresh concerns about digital disinformation during crises. A fake preliminary crash report, bearing aviation jargon and even emoji, went viral across aviation circles before being refuted by authorities, reported ET. The document was later found to be generated by artificial intelligence using details from a 2024 LATAM Airlines incident in South America. Before the Indian government could label the report fake, news websites had already published stories based on it, misleading even aviation professionals. According to the ministry, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) retrieved and transported the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) to New Delhi on June 24, over a week after their recovery but offered no explanation for the delay, as per ET. The information vacuum was quickly filled with fabricated visuals and narratives. Amit Relan, CEO of digital fraud detection firm mFilterIt was quoted by ET as saying, 'We've observed a disturbing pattern in how bad actors are leveraging AI and social media platforms to spread misinformation and commit fraud during sensitive events like the Air India Flight 171 crash.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New cars, best deals! CarXplore Shop Now Undo His firm identified not only deepfake videos of the crash aftermath but also fraudulent fundraising campaigns. 'This is a classic case of emotionally-driven financial fraud,' Relan warned. Fact-checking group BOOM also flagged several AI-generated visuals, including doctored images showing the aircraft ablaze or falsely positioned outside Ahmedabad airport. These images, lacking disclaimers, were flagged by AI detectors as synthetic. BOOM confirmed the misleading nature of such content using AI verification tools. Former airline pilot and crash investigation consultant John Cox criticised the AAIB's slow communication. 'This is the most extensive case of misinformation that has been seen during any accident,' he told ET. 'The AAIB should be having daily briefings as done by agencies across the globe. Because in the absence of information, it is misinformation that fills the void.' The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) also highlights the need for effective media communication during accident investigations, stating that 'a well-planned and executed communication strategy can go a long way in minimising negative publicity and ensuring facts are reported in a timely and accurate manner.' Mishi Choudhary, founder of the Software Freedom Law Centre, stressed a multi-layered approach. 'Each new disaster now presents new opportunities for disinformation peddlers,' she said. 'This is not a problem that can be solved by enacting new laws. Platforms need to take responsibility by investing more to tackle misinformation in different languages.' As AI-generated content becomes more convincing and accessible, experts say India must adopt faster, transparent, and tech-integrated communication strategies, especially during national tragedies, to curb the rising tide of digital deception. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
India Proposes Independent Aviation Safety Board for Improved Flight Oversight, ET LegalWorld
Advt Advt Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. All about ETLegalWorld industry right on your smartphone! Download the ETLegalWorld App and get the Realtime updates and Save your favourite articles. In a step towards reforming India's aviation oversight, the government is actively considering the creation of an independent Aviation Safety Board , modeled on the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The proposal gains urgency following the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad last month, which claimed over 260 lives and triggered a wave of scrutiny over regulatory lapses and safety proposed board will operate autonomously, with a mandate to investigate aviation accidents and systemically monitor safety compliance across the sector — including oversight of statutory bodies like the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).Currently, aviation accident probes are conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, a structure many critics say lacks institutional independence. Senior officials in the ministry and regular tory agencies have confirmed that the idea of a fully independent board is under "serious discussion," though a final greenlight is still pending.'There is growing recognition that India needs an empowered body to examine aviation incidents without any perceived conflict of interest,' said a senior official involved in the a parliamentary panel has called a high-level review of India's civil aviation safety next week, where top representatives from Air India, IndiGo, airport operators, and air traffic controllers will gather for brainstorming on aviation security. The panel is expected to probe both the crash and long-standing safety concerns that have plagued Indian aviation apart from discussing creation of an aviation safety AAIB, along with U.S. investigators, has now recovered and decoded the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, providing a clearer picture of the aircraft's final moments. A full technical report is expected within parallel, the government has also initiated an inspection of all 34 Boeing 787 aircraft in Indian fleets, and ordered audits of pilot training and maintenance records across the proposed Aviation Safety Board is established, it would mark a historic shift in India's approach to aviation safety — aligning it with global best practices seen in the U.S., Canada, and the EU, where independent boards investigate crashes free from regulatory say the board would need legislative backing and may involve redefining roles of AAIB and DGCA, which currently report to the same ministry that oversees airline operations — a clear conflict of interest in the eyes of many experts.
India.com
15 hours ago
- General
- India.com
Ahmedabad Air India Crash: Did Both Engines Fail? Pilot Simulation Uncovers Shocking Clues
As the government inquiry into the crash of Air India's AI 171 at Ahmedabad goes on, a report indicated that a simulation carried out by Air India pilots indicated an apparent technical failure as a primary cause. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed just minutes after departure on June 12, killing 241 of 242 individuals on board and 34 on the ground. Air India pilots recreated the parameters of the aircraft within a flight simulator to simulate potential scenarios, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources. Their results allegedly supported the technical failure hypothesis as a potential explanation. Air India spokespersons, though, refused to make any comment on the results, "These are speculations, and we will not be able to give any comments at this time." What The Simulation Found The simulation, carried out separate from the official investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), simulated different conditions. Deploying the landing gear and retracting wing flaps in the simulation did not, individually, result in a crash, but photos of wreckage of the actual aircraft revealed the flaps were still in the extended position, not retracted as had been initially suspected. Flaps are important for adding additional lift on takeoff and landing. A review of the crash footage by Air India pilots showed that the landing gear was slightly canted forward, which meant the retraction sequence had initiated. At the same time, the landing-gear doors had not opened yet. Pilots who conducted the analysis indicated this could be indicative of a loss of power or hydraulic failure, strongly suggesting malfunction with the engines. Questions Of Dual Engine Failure Joining the theory of technical malfunction, former US Navy pilot and aviation expert Captain Steve Scheibner has put forward dual engine failure as a possible cause for one of India's worst air tragedies in recent decades. Speaking in an interview with India Today, he pointed towards the activation of the ram air turbine (RAT) soon after takeoff as a sign of a dual engine failure. The RAT is a tiny turbine that is deployed from an airplane to provide power in a crisis, usually following a total failure of main electrical and hydraulic power. Black box data analysis (cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder) of the crashed Air India aircraft is in progress at the laboratory of the AAIB in Delhi. This vital information will be used to establish the exact sequence of events resulting in the accident as well as shed light on the reason why both engines could have lost power at the same time. The results of the official AAIB report are anxiously awaited to come up with a conclusive cause of the tragedy.
New Indian Express
15 hours ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Simulator tests point to possible technical flaw in Ahmedabad Air India crash: Report
More than two weeks after the deadly Air India plane crash that killed all but one of the 242 people on board, investigators and the airline are examining the possibility of a dual engine failure that might have prevented the Boeing 787 from staying airborne, according to a Bloomberg report. Pilots from the airline recreated the doomed flight's conditions in a simulator, using the same aircraft parameters such as flying with the landing gear deployed and the wing flaps retracted. Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the investigation, that the simulator exercise indicated these settings alone would not have led to a crash. The report said the simulation was conducted independently of the official probe by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and was carried out to explore potential scenarios. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12 was powered by two General Electric engines. Video footage of the crash showed the plane struggling to gain altitude after takeoff before falling back to the ground and exploding. Bloomberg reported that Boeing declined to comment and directed queries to the AAIB. General Electric said it could not comment on an ongoing investigation. The AAIB and Air India did not respond to Bloomberg's requests for comment.
