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India Today
12-07-2025
- India Today
Presumes guilt: Pilots' union claims crash report biased, questions 'secrecy'
After the preliminary report on the Air India 171 crash was made public, the Pilots' Association of India raised strong objections over the direction of the investigation, alleging that it appears to be "presuming the guilt of pilots".The doomed Air India flight, a Boeing Dreamliner 787, was being commanded by 56-year-old Sumeet Sabharwal, who had a total flying experience of 15,638 hours. His co-pilot was Clive Kunder, 32, who had 3,403 hours of total experience. A preliminary report on the June 12 crash was published on an official statement, Captain Sam Thomas, President of Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) India, said, "We feel that the investigation is being driven in a direction presuming the guilt of pilots, and we strongly object to this line of thought." The association expressed surprise at the 'secrecy surrounding these investigations' and questioned the qualifications of those involved. 'We are reiterating the fact that suitably qualified personnel are not taken on board for these crucial investigations,' the statement pilots' body also flagged a Wall Street Journal report published on July 10 that referred to the inadvertent movement of fuel control switches — a critical issue highlighted in the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) report. 'How did this information reach them?' the statement asked, referring to the AAIB's preliminary findings revealed that both fuel control switches of the Boeing 787 aircraft were flipped from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' within seconds of take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12, leading to engine shutdown. The cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot asking, 'Why did you cut off the fuel?' and the other responding, 'I did not do so.'However, the AAIB report does not specify whether the switches were moved inadvertently or deliberately. The report also mentions a potential malfunction related to the serviceability of the fuel control switch the report 'unsigned' and leaked to the media without attribution, Pilots' association India stated, 'We are surprised that a document so crucial has been given to the media without any responsible person signing it.'The association has appealed to the authorities to allow pilot representatives to participate in the investigation process, even in the capacity of observers, to ensure transparency. 'We once again request the powers that be to include us even in the capacity of observers, to provide the requisite transparency in the investigations,' the statement Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu stressed that the report was only preliminary and urged the public and media not to jump to conclusions. 'Let's not jump to any conclusions. Once the final report is out, only then can we arrive at a concrete conclusion,' he said, adding that he had 'complete faith' in India's pilots and June 12 crash, which occurred just seconds after take-off from Ahmedabad, killed 260 people on board and on the ground, making it one of the worst aviation tragedies in India's recent history.- EndsMust Watch
Time of India
02-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Passengers wear oxygen masks as Boeing Dreamliner plunges 26,000 ft mid-air in Japan, weeks after Ahmedabad crash; know what went wrong
Weeks after the Ahmedabad Air India plane crash, another shocking incident in a Japan Airlines Boeing Dreamliner 737 surfaced on social media, which is now doing the rounds on the internet. The video showed passengers on a Japan Airlines flight from Shanghai to Tokyo in a panic state when the aircraft abruptly dropped nearly 26,000 feet mid-air, compelling terrified passengers to don oxygen masks, and some even wrote 'goodbye letters', reported The People. The frightening incident occurred just weeks after a deadly crash involving a Boeing Dreamliner 787 in Ahmedabad that claimed 241 of 242 lives of passengers onboard. Another such incident has further intensified concerns and raised serious questions about the aircraft's manufacturing safety records. According to Kyodo News and the Associated Press, the Boeing 737 was carrying 191 passengers and crew, who landed safely without any injuries. But what really happened to the aircraft? Let's find out. What went wrong with the Japan Airlines Boeing Dreamliner 737? The incident occurred on Monday, June 30, on flight JL8696 (operated by Japan Airlines' low-cost arm, Spring Japan) that took off from Shanghai Pudong Airport and was en route to Narita International Airport in Tokyo. At around 6.53 PM local time, the flight suffered a sudden drop in cabin pressure that forced the plane to plummet rapidly from 36,000 feet to just under 10,500 feet within ten minutes. This is when the oxygen masks automatically dropped, and the passengers were instructed to use them immediately. Oxygen masks deployed, panic in the cabin, and terrified passengers. In the now viral video that has surfaced from inside the cabin, passengers looked visibly shaken, seen wearing their oxygen masks, while some were clutching their hands and trying to be calm. Emergency Spring and Autumn Airlines 6.30 Japan Spring and Autumn 1J004, Boeing 737, Shanghai flew to Tokyo more than 10,000 metres above the city of free fall to 3,000 metres of fishBefore that, I heard a muffled boom, and the oxygen mask fell off within a few seconds. The… In the middle of this, a cabin member is heard urging everyone not to panic and to follow the safety instructions carefully. Sharing the viral video on X (formerly called Twitter), a passenger wrote that he was on 'verge of tears. 'I heard a muffled boom, and the next thing I knew, oxygen masks dropped from above. A flight attendant cried and shouted for everyone to wear their masks, saying there was a malfunction,' he added. The plane, carrying 191 passengers and crew members, was suddenly dropped from about 36,000 feet to below 10,500 feet in just 10 minutes. Passengers hastily penned their wills and financial details, fearing the final moment Apart from this, one particular harrowing moment surfaced when one traveller claimed to have hastily written their will and financial details during the incident, fearing the worst. According to Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the aircraft's pressurisation system triggered an emergency alert, and within seconds, the oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling, sparking chaos onboard. Also Read: Air India Ahmedabad plane crash sparks aircraft safety concerns: Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner's past technical issues resurface Also Read: A week after Ahmedabad crash, Air India slashes international flights using wide-body planes by 15%
Hans India
26-06-2025
- Hans India
Air India plane crash: Analysis of black box data currently underway, says Centre
New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday said the analysis of the data from Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVR) and Flight Data Recorders (FDR) -- recovered from the crash site of Air India Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft in Ahmedabad -- is currently underway in full compliance. According to a statement from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, all actions so far related to Black Boxes have been taken in full compliance with domestic laws and international obligations in a time-bound manner. Following the unfortunate accident involving Air India Flight AI-171 on June 12, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) promptly initiated an investigation and constituted a multi-disciplinary team on June 13, in line with prescribed norms. The team, constituted as per international protocol, is led by Director General AAIB and includes an aviation medicine specialist, an ATC officer, and representatives from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is the government investigative agency from the state of manufacture and design, (USA), as required for such investigations. Both the CVR and FDR were recovered -- one from a rooftop of the building at the crash site on June 13 and the other from the debris on June 16. 'Standard Operating Procedures were issued for their secure handling, storage, and transportation. The devices were kept under 24x7 police protection and CCTV surveillance in Ahmedabad,' said the ministry. Subsequently, the black boxes were brought from Ahmedabad to Delhi by IAF aircraft with full security on June 24. 'The front black box arrived at AAIB Lab, Delhi with the DG, AAIB at 1400 hrs on 24 June, 2025. The rear black box was brought by a second AAIB team and reached AAIB Lab, Delhi at 1715 hrs on 24 June, 2025,' informed the ministry. On the evening of June 24, the team led by DG AAIB, with technical members from AAIB and NTSB, began the data extraction process. The Crash Protection Module (CPM) from the front black box was safely retrieved, and on June 25, the memory module was successfully accessed and its data downloaded at the AAIB Lab. 'The analysis of CVR and FDR data is underway. 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,' said the ministry. The air crash killed nearly 270 people, including 241 passengers and crew members, and has triggered a wider review of aviation safety protocols across the country. During its probe, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has found several flaws within domestic airline operations at some airports, where "reported defects" reappeared several times on aircraft following inspections.
The Hindu
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Air India plane crash, Iran-Israel conflict, Trump-Musk feud, and more: The week in 5 charts
(1) Israel-Iran conflict On June 16, Iran and Israel exchanged missile fire for the fourth day after Israel struck several targets in Iran targeting its nuclear facilities and military a couple days earlier. Israel's offensive also targeted Iranian military leaders and several nuclear scientists, killing top leaders in the military command structure. Israel-Iran conflict live updates Israel's 'Operation Lion' struck targets across Iran, with the International Atomic Energy Agency putting out a statement calling for a halt after Israel struck the Natanz nuclear facility. Iran's weakened proxies, damage to military bases and risking its global standing by not retaliating all put it in a tight spot. In this context, the pressure on Iran to come to a nuclear deal with the U.S. has increased. The attacks come after talks for a nuclear deal with the U.S. President Donald Trump fell into an impasse earlier this month. While the U.S. has denied its involvement in Israel's strikes, other reports suggest Mr. Trump knew of Israel's plans. (2) Air India plane crashes, leaving one survivor An Air India Boeing Dreamliner 787 planecrashed in Ahmedabad, killing over 200 passengers and crew on Thursday (June 12). The crash was one of the worst aviation accidents in recent times. The flight, headed to London, crashed shortly after it took off from the Sardar Vallabhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, reaching a height of over 600 feet before the signal was lost. The plane crashed into a hostel canteen area around 2 km away from the point of last contact, resulting in several casualties. The accident ended the Boeing variant's spotless safety record, making it the first crash for the 787 Dreamliner. While the exact cause for the crash remains unknown, the plane's landing gear not being retracted after take-off has raised concerns. The black box was recovered from the tail portion on June 13, and the voice recording from the cockpit retrieved on June 15. DNA samples have been given for testing and 86 victims have been identified through the results. (3) India's population reaches 146.39 crore India's population is estimated to have reached 146.39 crore by April, says a new UN demographic report, which adds that the country's total fertility rate (TFR) has declined to 1.9, falling below the replacement level of 2.1. The population is expected to grow to 170 crore before starting to dip in about 40 years, the report titled 'State of the World Population 2025: The Real Fertility Crisis' says. It calls India the 'world's most populous nation', while pegging former leader China's current population at 141.61 crore. The demographic indicators in the United Nations Population Fund report for 2025 are close to India's own projection of its population published in 2019 by a technical group of experts. According to these projections, India, as of 2025, is estimated to have a population of 141.10 crore. The UN report says that millions of people are not able to realise their real fertility goals. Calling this the 'real' crisis, and not overpopulation or underpopulation, the report calls for the pursuit of reproductive agency — a person's ability to make free and informed choices about sex, contraception and starting a family — in a changing world. India's youth population remains significant, with about 24% of the population in the age bracket of 0-14, 17% in age group of 10-19, and 26% in the age group of 10-24. Further, the report estimates that 68% of the population in India is of working age (15-64 years). (4) Telangana Cabinet expanded with three new ministers The Telangana State Cabinet has seen the first expansion 18 months after the Congress Government took over the reins in December 2023. Governor Jishnu Dev Varma administered oath of office and secrecy to three new Ministers – G. Vivek Venkataswamy, Adluri Lakshman Kumar and Vakiti Srihari at a simple ceremony on Sunday (June 8, 2025). The strength of the Cabinet reached 15 with the addition of three more members and there is still space for accommodating few more. The three newly-inducted ministers in Telangana were assigned portfolios on Wednesday (June 11, 2025). According to the notification, G Vivek Venkata Swamy has been given charge of Labour and Mines and Geology, while Adluri Laxman Kumar has been assigned SC Development, Tribal Welfare, Minorities Welfare. Vakiti Srihari has been appointed Minister for Animal Husbandry, Sports and Youth Services. (5) How the Trump–Musk fallout unfolded Billionaire Elon Musk said on Wednesday (June 11, 2025) that he regrets some of the posts he made last week about U.S President Donald Trump, in a post on his social media platform X. Musk's statement came just days after Trump warned him of 'serious consequences' if he attempted to target Republicans backing a contentious spending bill. The two have been trading barbs on social media since last week, with Musk calling Trump's sweeping tax and spending proposal a 'disgusting abomination.'
Indian Express
16-06-2025
- Indian Express
Investigators banking on in-flight DVR, CCTVs near accident site in probe in Ahmedabad plane crash
The Ahmedabad Police is also scanning CCTV footage from surveillance and security cameras around the crash site in the BJ Medical College hostel to ascertain the ground casualties and help the investigators with any possible footage that captured the Dreamliner in its final moments. Meanwhile, the Gujarat Police is assisting the multiple investigating agencies, including Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), US teams of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), UK examiners and Boeing, who have visited the crash site to conduct simultaneous probes, with its manpower. An officer of the Ahmedabad city police told this newspaper, 'We are cooperating as per their request and helping them at the crash site and in logistics as the AAIB is a team of forensic engineers and medical experts…' A Digital Video Recorder (DVR) or Cabin Video Monitoring System (CVMS) found intact on the crash site is also expected to provide crucial evidence of the Air India plane crash that killed 241 passengers and several people on the ground in Ahmedabad. The DVR will allow the investigators a full view into what transpired inside the flight cabin in its final moments, seconds after a take-off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA). 'We are exercising preliminary caution by collecting as much data and evidence… We are checking footage. The investigation into the ground deaths is in the purview of the city police. It will help us in the identification of the bodies of those killed on the ground,' an official said. Speaking to this newspaper, an official close to the investigation said that the recovery of the DVR is 'significant' as it can lend a primary perspective even as the extraction and analysis of the data from the two black boxes will be a time-consuming process. The official said, 'It is indeed significant that the DVR has been found intact by the Gujarat Police officials. Since this is the first crash involving a Boeing Dreamliner 787, the extraction of data from the various flight devices will be a first and would also need to be done carefully as there is no precedent… However, if the DVR footage is found intact, which is most likely the case, then it will give a quicker access into the final moments of the aircraft before the crash.' This would be from the time of taxiing from the tarmac to its take-off and eventual failure to soar that possibly led to the crash within 58 seconds of the aircraft being airborne. 'The 787 uses multiple high-resolution in-cabin video surveillance cameras that are typically placed at the doorway, cabin and cockpit… The exact number of cameras will be known when the DVR can be extracted but the system can have a dozen cameras linked to it. These cameras are powered by external batteries that will continue to record even in case of a power failure in the aircraft or any emergency situation…' he said. The official said that investigators are hopeful that the footage will help correlate the statement of the lone survivor — British national Viswashkumar Ramesh of Seat 11A, who has said in his account that the flight 'appeared to have come to a standstill mid air, shortly after take-off with green and white cabin lights turned on', right before it 'crashed in full speed'. He said, 'The cause of the crash, however, can only be ascertained after a thorough analysis of the exhaustive data of the DFDR and CVR (the two black boxes) of the aircraft…' He said that the investigators may seek to meet the lone survivor in order to seek specific information 'once he is closer to recovery'.
