Latest news with #Ahmedabad
CBC
11 hours ago
- General
- CBC
Investigators analyzing black box data from fatal Air India crash
Social Sharing Investigators have begun analyzing data extracted from the black boxes of the ill-fated Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed on June 12, killing at least 270 people, India's Civil Aviation Ministry said on Thursday. The data is crucial as it will help shed light on the cause of the country's worst aviation disaster in recent memory. A team led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has started looking at the data with support from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the ministry said in a statement. "These efforts aim to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the accident and identify contributing factors to enhance aviation safety and prevent future occurrences," it said. Indian investigators recovered the black boxes from the wreckage site in the northwestern Indian city of Ahmedabad, a couple of days after the London-bound Air India flight 171 struck a residential area minutes after takeoff. The crash killed 241 people onboard and at least 29 on the ground. There was one survivor. The black box is one of the most important pieces of forensic evidence following a plane crash. There are typically two sturdy devices: the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder. They're typically orange, not black. Indian authorities flew the black boxes from Ahmedabad to the national capital in an Indian Air Force aircraft amid tight security early this week. The investigation could take weeks or months. India set up a state-of-the-art laboratory in New Delhi in April to help the AAIB repair damaged black boxes and retrieve data to enhance the accuracy of investigations. A multidisciplinary team led by AAIB director general GVG Yugandhar is probing the Air India crash with assistance from aviation and air traffic control specialists and experts from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. The Indian government has also set up a separate, high-level committee to examine the causes leading to the crash and formulate procedures to prevent and handle aircraft emergencies in the future. The committee is expected to file a preliminary report within three months. Following the crash, Indian authorities had ordered deeper checks of Air India's entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners to prevent future incidents. Air India has 33 Dreamliners in its fleet. Inspection has been completed for at least 26, while four were undergoing long-term maintenance. The rest were expected to finish the safety checks soon.
Khaleej Times
13 hours ago
- General
- Khaleej Times
Air India crash: Indian investigators download black box data
Investigators have downloaded flight recorder data from an Air India crash this month that killed 260 people, India's civil aviation ministry said on Thursday, a long-awaited step towards understanding the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed moments after takeoff from India's Ahmedabad city on June 12, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and the rest on the ground. The black boxes of the plane — the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) — were recovered in the days that followed, one from the rooftop of a building at the crash site on June 13, and the other from the debris on June 16. The ministry said data from the front recorder was accessed on Wednesday by a team led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), with the US National Transportation Safety Board. "These efforts aim to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the accident and identify contributing factors to enhance aviation safety and prevent future occurrences," the ministry said in a statement. US National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy told Reuters on Thursday she hopes the Indian government will be able to share details from the investigation into the crash in short order. "For aviation safety and for public safety and public awareness we hope that they will make their findings public swiftly," Homendy said on the sidelines of an aviation event. She said the NTSB team has been working diligently to provide assistance to India and "we have had excellent cooperation from the Indian government and the AAIB." The probe into the crash of the Air India plane, which started losing height after reaching an altitude of 650 feet, includes a focus on engine thrust, according to a source with knowledge of the matter. The Wall Street Journal has reported that investigators believe the Dreamliner had its emergency-power generator operating when it crashed. Most air crashes are caused by multiple factors, with a preliminary report expected about 30 days after the accident. Two GE recorders, one in the jet's front and another at the rear, are installed on Boeing's 787 jets and record the same set of flight data. GE, which sent experts to India, manufactured the engines on the Air India 787 and also produced the combined flight data and cockpit voice recorder, called an "enhanced airborne flight recorder". The forward recorder is equipped with an independent power supply that provides backup power to the device for about 10 minutes if the plane's power source is lost, the NTSB said in a 2014 report. The decision to begin downloading recorder data around two weeks after the crash was unusually late, three experts told Reuters, and followed speculation that the so-called black boxes could be sent to the United States for analysis. US aviation safety expert Anthony Brickhouse said accident investigators would typically have already given some update on the recorders' status, and have begun downloading data in such a high profile crash. "Normally countries know that the world is watching," he said. India said last week that it was yet to decide where the black boxes would be analyzed. The data retrieved from them could provide critical clues into the aircraft's performance and any conversations between the pilots preceding the crash. India has said its actions have been taken in full compliance with domestic laws and international obligations in a time bound manner.
The Independent
19 hours ago
- The Independent
Demand for fear of flying therapy spikes after Air India disaster
A therapy course designed to help people conquer their fear of flying has seen a huge spike in demand after over 200 people lost their lives in the recent Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad. The disaster that occurred moments after take-off two weeks ago, has since prompted a substantial rise in enquiries for the programme. Retired Air Force officer Dinesh K., 55, runs Cockpit Vista, India's sole "fear of flying solutions" centre, located in Bengaluru. His $500 course, which combines flight simulation with counselling, has received more than 100 enquiries since the crash, a stark contrast to its previous average of about ten a month. Dinesh explains his approach to overcoming aerophobia: "Fear of flying is typically to do with things happening on an aeroplane - the sounds, motion, vibrations ... exposure therapy is the only solution." During a tour of his facility, he demonstrated how cockpit controls relate to movements that often unnerve passengers. The centre is equipped with simulators for both Boeing and Cessna planes, allowing participants to experience landings and take-offs from a pilot's perspective. This immersive experience aims to help individuals understand that not every vibration or sound during a flight signals danger, thereby alleviating their anxieties. WhatsApp messages Dinesh received, and shared with Reuters, showed individuals complaining about "losing confidence" after the crash, while others said it was "too hard on the brain". A chilling 59-second CCTV clip showing the crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which killed 260 people, has been widely shared on social media and TV channels since the 12 June accident, which aviation and mental health experts said had led to an unusually high number of counselling requests. Some travellers are becoming more choosy in selecting their airline and aircraft - Boeing or Airbus - while others are so anxious they are taking more drastic steps by rescheduling or cancelling their air travel plans altogether. "I am filtering on the basis of not having to fly a Boeing ... I'm bloody terrified currently, and I don't want to get back on a flight," said London-based Indian marketing consultant Nidhi Bhatia, 25, who flew to Mumbai in an Air India Boeing 777 plane a day before the Ahmedabad crash. Unlike India, Western countries have many more formal setups to help people tackle their fear of flying, in its most intense form known as aerophobia, as fatal crashes often spike worries among travellers across the world. Days after an American Airlines plane collided with a helicopter in Washington, killing more than 60 people, a survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers by research firm Prodege found 55 per cent of travellers had higher anxiety, while 38 per cent had reconsidered or cancelled travel plans. Google Trends data shows searches for the term "flying fear" in India hit "peak popularity" a day after the Air India crash, and the phrase was still being widely searched. Flying is typically seen as a safe mode of transport, and crashes during takeoff are especially rare. The International Civil Aviation Organisation said there were 1.87 accidents per million departures in 2023, its most recent annual air safety report. Of the nine hull loss accidents without fatalities recorded in 2024, only two occurred on take off, according to Airbus' website. The airport CCTV recording from Ahmedabad shows the Air India plane rose to a height of 650 feet (198.12 m) after it took off, but suddenly lost altitude, crashing in a fireball into a nearby building - all within 60 seconds. The disturbing footage was a key cause of the panic among Indian travellers, five mental health experts said. People were seeking help because they had developed insomnia or become obsessed with flight updates, they said. Others were scared of letting their loved ones travel on planes, complaining of "debilitating anxiety" for their relatives in transit "to an extent where they have been unable to focus on their daily chores" because they are constantly checking messages to see if they have landed, said psychologist Pankti Gohel. In Bengaluru, the $500 Cockpit Vista course is spread over 14 hours and led by Dinesh, who oversaw ground operations during the undeclared 1999 Kargil war between India and Pakistan and retired as an Air Force wing commander in 2014. He also offers to accompany worried clients on the first flights they take after completing the course. Since the crash, many travellers fear travelling with Air India and are seeking alternative airlines, according to Jaya Tours, a mid-sized booking agency in Mumbai. Taken over by the Tata Group from the Indian government in 2022, Air India continues to face criticism for poor service and an outdated fleet. This year, the airline was also warned about flying three Airbus planes which lacked mandatory inspection checks on escape slides. The Indian Association of Tour Operators, which represents more than 1,600 agents, said overall flight bookings dropped by 15-20 per cent soon after the Air India crash, while 30-40 per cent of booked tickets were also cancelled. "We are getting very unusual questions about aircraft type. Earlier passengers didn't really care about what kind of aircraft it is," said the group's president, Ravi Gosain.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Air India baggage handling company apologises after video shows staff partying days after crash
A viral video showing senior officials from Air India's partner company dancing at a staff party has caused widespread anger, with the celebrations taking place just days after the deadly crash of Air India flight AI171 in Ahmedabad on 12 June. Air India SATS has released a statement regarding the viral video showing a senior executive partying with other members of staff less than 10 days after the fatal plane crash, saying the footage was 'completely out of context'. Air India SATS (AISATS) is a 50-50 joint venture between Air India Limited, a Tata Group company, and SATS Ltd, a Singapore-based firm formerly known as Singapore Airport Terminal Services. The partnership specialises in providing airport services, including baggage handling, across Indian airports. The footage shows Abraham Zachariah, chief operating officer of Air India SATS (AISATS), dancing with other staff members as loud music plays during a party held at the company's Gurugram office on 20 June. In a statement, the company said: 'AISATS is aware of a video being circulated on social media that unfortunately is completely out of context. 'Notwithstanding, we sincerely regret any emotional discomfort this may have caused,' the statement said, IANS reported. It has only been a few days since the tragic Ahmedabad plane crash. Many families have not yet been able to see their loved ones for the last time; several bodies have still not been handed over. Grief hangs heavy in households, funeral pyres are yet to cool. And at such a… — Squint Neon (@TheSquind) June 22, 2025 The viral video triggered outrage on social media, as the celebration occurred while many families were still waiting to receive the bodies of crash victims. The footage drew strong criticism from users on X. Problem with Indian corporates is that they don't have heart, only thing matter is money. If someone dies let's give some money to victim's family, no accountability, no investigation & no arrest. They just create a public image through charity, so no question asked. — Big_Sarcastic (@Big_sarcastic) June 22, 2025 One user wrote: 'Problem with Indian corporates is that they don't have heart, only thing matter is money. If someone dies let's give some money to victim's family, no accountability, no investigation & no arrest. They just create a public image through charity, so no question asked.' Another user replied: 'Would've been more advisable for you to defer and not host parties at such times @airindia.' Air India guys are shameless and pathetic — Gulmohar 🌸 (@Bekaarbaate) June 22, 2025 Another user called it 'pathetic and highly insensitive', and another said: 'You should be ashamed of yourselves. I hope you clowns are grounded.' The devastating Air India crash occurred at around 2pm local time on 12 June, when a London-bound Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plunged into accommodation for medical students at Ahmedabad's BJ Medical College just moments after take-off. It was the first crash of its kind involving a Boeing 787 anywhere in the world. The Independent has reached out to AISATS for further comment.
The Independent
20 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Air India baggage handling company apologises after video shows staff partying days after crash
A viral video showing senior officials from Air India 's partner company dancing at a staff party has caused widespread anger, with the celebrations taking place just days after the deadly crash of Air India flight AI171 in Ahmedabad on 12 June. Air India SATS has released a statement regarding the viral video showing a senior executive partying with other members of staff less than 10 days after the fatal plane crash, saying the footage was 'completely out of context'. Air India SATS (AISATS) is a 50-50 joint venture between Air India Limited, a Tata Group company, and SATS Ltd, a Singapore-based firm formerly known as Singapore Airport Terminal Services. The partnership specialises in providing airport services, including baggage handling, across Indian airports. The footage shows Abraham Zachariah, chief operating officer of Air India SATS (AISATS), dancing with other staff members as loud music plays during a party held at the company's Gurugram office on 20 June. In a statement, the company said: 'AISATS is aware of a video being circulated on social media that unfortunately is completely out of context. 'Notwithstanding, we sincerely regret any emotional discomfort this may have caused,' the statement said, IANS reported. The viral video triggered outrage on social media, as the celebration occurred while many families were still waiting to receive the bodies of crash victims. The footage drew strong criticism from users on X. One user wrote: 'Problem with Indian corporates is that they don't have heart, only thing matter is money. If someone dies let's give some money to victim's family, no accountability, no investigation & no arrest. They just create a public image through charity, so no question asked.' Another user replied: 'Would've been more advisable for you to defer and not host parties at such times @airindia.' Another user called it 'pathetic and highly insensitive', and another said: 'You should be ashamed of yourselves. I hope you clowns are grounded.' The devastating Air India crash occurred at around 2pm local time on 12 June, when a London-bound Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plunged into accommodation for medical students at Ahmedabad's BJ Medical College just moments after take-off. It was the first crash of its kind involving a Boeing 787 anywhere in the world.
