Latest news with #DeCrespigny
Hindustan Times
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Champion De Crespigny handed surprise Wallabies debut in Lions Test
Flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny was handed a shock debut Thursday by Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt for the opening British and Irish Lions Test in Brisbane, with young fly-half Tom Lynagh another surprise pick. Champion De Crespigny handed surprise Wallabies debut in Lions Test Hard man Champion De Crespigny, who spent three seasons at French side Castres before moving to Western Force this year, gets his chance on Saturday with first-choice blindside flanker Rob Valetini not fully fit. His elevation is an eye-opener, preferred to Tom Hooper and Langi Gleeson. Lynagh has also leapt up the pecking order and will add to his three caps, all as a substitute. He will wear the No.10 shirt against the Lions 36 years after his World Cup-winning father Michael a long-time Wallabies fly-half and trusty kicker did the same on their 1989 visit. Ben Donaldson was initially seen as favourite to be playmaker when Noah Lolesio was ruled out of the series after a nasty neck injury during Australia's lacklustre 21-18 win over Fiji this month the Wallabies' only warm-up Test. While he made the bench, there was no room for veteran James O'Connor, who started all three Tests at fly-half when Australia last hosted the tourists in 2013. Harry Wilson retains the captaincy and will pack down in the back row with Champion De Crespigny and Fraser McReight, tasked with dominating the breakdown. A head knock to Dave Porecki against Fiji opened the door to Matt Faessler's return as starting hooker in a front row alongside veterans Allan Alaalatoa and James Slipper. Slipper joins George Smith as the only players to feature for the Wallabies in back-to-back Lions series in the professional era. With Will Skelton failing to shake off a calf injury, Jeremy Williams and Nick Frost retain their positions at lock. Jake Gordon is the preferred scrum-half while Len Ikitau partners dynamic Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii in the centres. Max Jorgensen is on the left wing, Harry Potter on the right and Tom Wright at fullback. "The whole squad has worked hard as a group to prepare for what's going to be a massive challenge against an in-form Lions team," said Schmidt. "With the short runway leading up to such a big Test match, we know we must adapt fast and improve quickly from the performance we had against Fiji recently. "We're very much aware of the occasion and conscious of earning the support from the public through the effort they see on the field." Australia are heavy underdogs against a Lions side who have won all five tour matches so far. Lions head coach Andy Farrell names his team later Thursday. Wallabies : Tom Wright; Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Harry Potter; Tom Lynagh, Jake Gordon; Harry Wilson , Fraser McReight, Nick Champion de Grespigny; Jeremy Williams, Nick Frost; Allan Alaalatoa, Matt Daessler, James Slipper Replacements: Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Tom Robertson, Tom Hooper, Carlo Tizzano, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Andrew Kellaway mp/dh This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
7NEWS
14-07-2025
- 7NEWS
Air India families claim cover-up as they ask one chilling question why plane crashed and killed 242 passengers
The families of the passengers killed in the Air India tragedy last month want to know why the plane's fuel switches were cut-off at take-off, an act which led to a catastrophic loss of trust for the aircraft. Air India flight AI171 had barely left the runway last month when it lost momentum and crashed in a densely populated area of India's western city of Ahmedabad, killing all but one of the 242 people on board and 19 others on the ground. Now, a preliminary report by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has revealed that fuel supply to both engines was cut in the crucial minutes as the aircraft was ascending in the air. The plane's black box data recorder showed the aircraft had reached an airspeed of 180 knots when the fuel switches of both engines were 'transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one', the report says. The report says the switches were flipped within a second of each other, halting the flow of fuel to the engine. In the audio, one pilot asks the other why he flipped the switches. The other pilot responds he did not do so. Seconds later, the switches were flipped back on. Both engines were able to relight, and one began to 'progress to recovery', the report said, but it was too late to stop the plane's gut-wrenching descent. While the report identified the problem, it did not say whether the crash was caused by a crew error, mechanical malfunction, or electronic failure. Speaking to the UK's Telegraph, Ameen Siddiqui, whose bother-in-law and niece died in the crash, argued it was a cover-up. 'It's a cover-up to protect Air India and the government,' he said. 'They want to blame dead pilots who can't defend themselves. 'How can the fuel switches end up turning off at a critical moment, either through pilot error or a mechanical fault?' Appearing on Sunrise on Monday, former Qantas pilot Richard De Crespigny spoke about the fuel switches, saying if it was mechanical failure, it would be remarkable. 'The fuel control switches you turn them on at the start of the flight, turn them off at the end. You turn them on and off if you have to restart the engine or if there is a fire,' De Crespigny explained. 'You have to move them in flight. But to have two turn off within a second of each other is remarkable. If it's a switch failure, it is a really remote (chance of it happening). 'I suspect there is a human error in this (tragedy). But we just don't know. 'The investigators could release the voice transcript, so we know exactly what was said and correlate it to what happened. '(But) they haven't done that. 'They have left a lot open.' Is it a cover-up? De Crespigny was asked on his thoughts of it being a cover-up. 'If it was a cover-up, and there was a mechanical fault, then we have had two switches that are faulty turning-off within one second of each other,' De Crespigny said. 'After 10 years of this 787's operations, this is highly (unlikely) ... Almost impossible. 'I don't think they want to cover it up. 'They're (just) not used to exposing all the facts and shutting down these rumours.' Turning the fuel switches off? De Crespigny said turning off the fuel switches would cause an aviation disaster. 'If you turned off the fuel switches, the engines would be running down within one second because you are turning off the main pumps and it's dramatic,' he said. 'It has to be because you have to stop fuel getting to the engine if there's a fire. 'The fuel switches were turned off and within 10 seconds they're both turned on. 'It suggests there was some interaction, somewhere in the cockpit. 'The switches didn't just float up or float down.' What do the switches look like? De Crespigny described the switches. 'They look like little mushrooms in the supermarket, button mushrooms you have to pull the switch out and move it up or down and then release it,' he said. 'It won't move by itself or by accident.' De Crespigny explained he did hear of one incident where the switches were faulty. 'There was a report of these switches not having a lock to secure them,' he said. 'This would mean the switch might fall down in turbulence and turn off. 'To have two doing this (during) take-off ... This is very remote.' - with CNN
