Latest news with #GauravTaneja
Indian Express
3 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
Gaurav Taneja, aka Flying Beast, spotted blood stain on wing before take-off, was told to ignore it: ‘What if flaps failed mid-air?'
The Air India Flight 171 crash shocked the nation, claiming 270 lives. Now, former commercial pilot Gaurav Taneja, famously known as the Flying Beast on YouTube, shared that human error is often caused by a variety of factors that expose the systemic issues in the Indian aviation industry. While he was among the first to suggest that the crash was caused by a rare dual engine failure, in a later video, he suggested that human error might have been a factor as well. He said that several things must've gone wrong on the fateful day for a crash of such magnitude to occur. On Prakhar ke Pravachan podcast, Gaurav revealed how airline management often ignores issues raised by pilots to avoid delays, only to blame them if something goes wrong. Recounting his own experience as a commercial pilot, Gaurav shared, 'It happened with me once. I was walking around and I saw some blood stains on the wing. I thought it must be some bird. Must have come in the way while landing. In such cases, the aircraft needs to be thoroughly checked but the ground staff there told me, 'Sir, I will clean it up, you take it away.' I was like, 'What does that mean?'' Gaurav shared the risks of avoiding such incidents. 'Now imagine if the bird has entered the engine. What if I am unable to operate it when I am in the air. The flaps could be affected. The ground staff said, 'Sir, you write about this in the next sector, abhi delay ho raha hai (It is getting late).' After a point, I stopped doing all this.' ALSO READ | Gaurav Taneja, aka Flying Beast, questions mass-construction around Indian airports, says Air India 171 tragedy could've been averted even if there was jungle land Gaurav added that pilots think they are helping the management by making adjustments and adhering to such requests, but in reality, they are risking the lives of people flying with them. 'You are there to work, your work is to do safe take offs and landings, if you think you are helping the management, you are actually not. It always backfires because if anything goes wrong, they always blame the pilot,' he said. In the same podcast, Gaurav, who was fired from Air Asia for pointing out alleged malpractices at the airline, shared that the ground staff is often under pressure to maintain punctuality. Under pressure, they ignore issues with the aircraft, requesting pilots to raise their concerns later. ALSO READ | Gaurav Taneja defends deceased pilots in Air India crash; calls out big companies for shifting blame: 'It gets easy to claim insurance' 'A common practice in aviation is for engineers to request pilots not to log complaints. If the complaint is logged, an entire procedure has to be performed. This causes delays. They will tell you that they will okay the aircraft to fly, and ask you to raise the concern at Delhi. They tell you to report 'in-air failures', or that some issue happened after take-off. But everyone knows the truth. This is an endless back-and-forth between pilots and engineers. Companies need to change their ways. They shouldn't take such big risks over one or two minutes,' he said.
News18
3 days ago
- General
- News18
Gaurav Taneja AKA Flying Beast RECREATES Air India Flight 171 Crash On A Simulator: 'It Was Scary...'
Last Updated: Flying Beast Gaurav Taneja simulates Air India Flight 171 crash, discusses overloading, pilot error, and rules out dual engine failure in new YouTube video. Popular YouTuber and pilot Gaurav Taneja, better known as Flying Beast, has released a detailed video analysing the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad. The incident, which resulted in the death of 270 people, shocked the nation and raised questions about what could have gone wrong. In his latest upload, Taneja attempts to understand the crash by recreating it through flight simulations and exploring various theories. Initially, Taneja leaned toward a dual-engine failure being the most likely cause. However, after running simulations, he says his opinion has evolved. He even hinted at a combination of factors — including overloading and potential pilot error — being at play. 'I was fixated on this reason until today evening. In the sim, everything was falling into place. After takeoff, we killed both engines at 100 feet," he said, referring to his simulation scenario. He further explained that he made some adjustments to reflect a more realistic setup for a long-haul international route. 'Usually, this aircraft is 62 tonnes, but considering that it was a long flight to London, I've made it 70 tonnes." The experience during the simulation left a strong impression on him. 'It was scary. I froze. There was nothing that you could do. What could you do? All you can do is pray and watch the ground come at you." Earlier, Taneja had pointed out that because the plane managed to lift off, the aircraft systems were likely functioning properly in the initial seconds. However, the fact that the landing gear was not retracted could be a major indicator that something went wrong immediately after take-off. 'So, if there was no such warning at take-off, that means there was no major error in the aircraft or its systems. Aircraft usually take off as part of a routine, once you cross 100 or 400 feet, you put the autopilot on. In this case, I don't know whether the pilots had time to do that. The landing gear was still down. The usual procedure is: you take off, confirm there is a positive rate of climb, and then the pilot flying calls it out, and the gear is taken up. But here, the gears were left down, indicating that right after take-off there was some emergency. The pilots were distracted, they were trying to solve that problem. There was no time or perhaps no confirmation of a positive rate of climb, and the aircraft was sinking, about 400 feet per minute." With nearly 10 million subscribers on YouTube, Flying Beast's video has sparked fresh conversation around aviation safety, aircraft weight regulations, and cockpit decisions under stress. In the past, Taneja has used his platform to simplify aviation concepts for general audiences, and this latest upload continues in that direction — helping viewers understand the real-life challenges pilots face. First Published:
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
‘Pilots are angry, ground staff is terrified': ‘Flying Beast' Gaurav Taneja says ‘sab kaand khulenge' post Air India 171 crash, as he exposes aviation industry secrets
YouTuber Gaurav Taneja, who is better known as Flying Beast online, usually makes family vlogs for his nearly 10 million subscribers. Recently, he appeared on Shark Tank India and pitched his protein business. But, he often posts aviation-related content as well, considering his decade-long experience as a commercial pilot. In recent weeks, Taneja has shared theories about the tragic Air India Flight 171 crash, which resulted in the death of 270 people. Hours after the disaster, he suggested that it could've been caused by a 'dual engine failure'. In recent days, he has also pointed to human error as being one of the reasons behind the crash. In a new interview, however, Taneja explained that human error is caused by a variety of factors that expose the systemic issues with the Indian aviation industry. Appearing on the Prakhar Ke Pravachan podcast, Taneja praised Air India pilots for putting their foot down and demanding pristine aircraft to fly on. He said that pilots were fully aware of the corners that were being cut by airlines prior to the disaster, but had no choice but to follow orders and protocols. Taneja himself was fired from Air Asia a few years ago, after he blew the whistle on certain alleged practices at the airline. In the interview, he said that the ground staff is under such pressure to maintain punctuality that they often ignore issues with the aircraft, requesting pilots to raise their concerns later. Also read – 'Sending Air India 171 black boxes to America is shocking': 'Flying Beast' Gaurav Taneja says 'Boeing has power', highlights conflict of interest He said, 'Scheduling is a major issue. Someone who has flown all night and hasn't had enough time to recover from fatigue should not be assigned another flight. When an investigation happens, it reveals every detail, such as the culture of an airline, and if they're following regulations about rostering.' Addressing the mass-cancellations of Air India flight following the 171 crash, Taneja said, 'I know that Air India pilots are angry and upset. They know that, at the end of the day, they're the ones in the air. Management is sitting on the ground. Engineers are on the ground. Everyone else is on the ground. They're saying, 'I will not take an okay aircraft. Give me a perfect aircraft to fly'.' Explaining the pressure that airlines put on their employees, Taneja continued, 'A common practice in aviation is for engineers to request pilots not to log complaints. If the complaint is logged, an entire procedure has to be performed. This causes delays. They will tell you that they will okay the aircraft to fly, and ask you to raise the concern at Delhi. They tell you to report 'in-air failures', or that some issue happened after take-off. But everyone knows the truth. This is an endless back-and-forth between pilots and engineers. Companies need to change their ways. They shouldn't take such big risks over one or two minutes.' He said that engineers are under incredible pressure to ensure on-time departures and arrivals. 'They're constantly terrified. They keep worrying about being reprimanded for causing a delay. They keep telling pilots to blame the air traffic control, to tell the company that they received the aircraft on time but were delayed by the ATC. It's not like the company is paying them in crores. They make regular salaries, but they're constantly on edge,' he said, adding, 'Jab audit hota hai, toh khali 171 nahi khulta, sab kaand khulte hain.' Sharing a personal anecdote, Taneja said that he once spotted blood on one of the wings before take-off, and he raised the issue with a ground engineer because he suspected a bird strike. He said that the aircraft's should have been checked thoroughly in that case. He said, 'This happened with me. I was conducting a walk-around, and I saw some blood stains on the wings. It's an obvious sign of a bird strike. The ground staff was like, 'Sir, saaf kar deta hoon, le jao'. I was like, 'Kya baat kar raha hai?' Anything can happen. The flaps could be affected, the engine could be affected. After a point, I stopped doing all this.'
Indian Express
5 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
Gaurav Taneja, aka Flying Beast, questions mass-construction around Indian airports, says Air India 171 tragedy could've been averted even if there was jungle land
YouTuber Gaurav Taneja, who has appeared on television shows such as Shark Tank India and has accumulated around 10 million subscribers online, used to work as a commercial pilot for a decade. He has offered his commentary on the recent Air India Flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad, which claimed the lives of 270 people. Hours after the crash, he suggested that it could've been caused by a rare 'dual engine failure'. He has since amended his theories to include human error, while also making a point to question systemic issues in the airline industry. He said that the easiest thing to do is to blame the pilots, but that a serious investigation needs to be conducted into some of the more questionable aspects of the industry. In an interview on the Prakhar Ke Pravachan YouTube channel, he also questioned the mass-construction around Indian airports, and said that a major tragedy is waiting to happen in cities like Mumbai, where huge populations reside mere metres from the airport perimeter. During the interview, he said that the doomed aircraft could've been saved if the pilots had open space to conduct an emergency landing. Describing the probability of a dual engine failure as 'one in a trillion', he said that he has no recollection of anything like this ever happening in the past. Also read – 'Sending Air India 171 black boxes to America is shocking': 'Flying Beast' Gaurav Taneja says 'Boeing has power', highlights conflict of interest Addressing the issue of construction around airports, he said that loss of life could've been avoided had there even been trees and farmland. 'A lawyer who is handling my case also, he has filed a lot of PILs. He says that there are a lot of buildings which should not be there. The Airports Authority of India has given permissions left, right, and centre. Land is expensive in Mumbai, and nobody wants to waste empty land. You won't see this in any other country, that there are buildings immediately after the perimeter wall. But nobody wants to pick fights with builders.' Speaking about the Ahmedabad crash, he said, 'Even if there were no buildings, and there was some sort of jungle, the trees would've absorbed the impact. The aircraft would've been damaged, there would have been damage to the landing gear and the wings, but there would've been less loss of life. There is a procedure for crash landings. We practice it.' He said that most pilots anyway plot emergency landings during flights. 'If you're flying for 10 hours, what else do you do? You look at your map and you look outside, and calculate how long it would take you to reach the nearest airport in case an engine fails,' he said. He said that the only conclusion he can come to is that one engine failed on the runway, after the point of no return, and that the second engine was erroneously switched off by the pilots, because of the first engine's unexpected failure and the longer-than-usual liftoff distracted them. Reminding people that pilot error is caused by a variety of behind-the-scenes factors, he said that Indian airlines have a history of cutting corners. 'These are such beautiful machines, they don't fail just like that. They must've been taken advantage of. There must've been a human factor, things must've gone wrong at the airport, there must've been a long history of scheduling and management issues. A lot of things must've gone wrong for something like this to happen,' he said.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
‘Sending Air India 171 black boxes to America is shocking': ‘Flying Beast' Gaurav Taneja says ‘Boeing has power', highlights conflict of interest
YouTuber Gaurav Taneja, better known as Flying Beast online, spoke about the timeline of the ongoing Air India Flight 171 investigation. He said that a preliminary report should be made available within 30 days of the crash. On June 12, the Air India Ahmedabad-London flight crashed into a building moments after take-off, killing 270. Since then, Taneja has offered insight into the tragedy, as a former commercial pilot with a decade of experience. Hours after the crash, he said that the likeliest cause would be a 'dual engine failure'; he has since amended his theory to include human error. In a new interview, he questioned the decision to send the flight's recovered black box to the United States, and said that this is a conflict of interest because the manufacturer of the aircraft, Boeing, exercises major power in America. The decision to investigate the black boxes in an Indian facility or whether to send them overseas is yet to be taken. Sources have said that it will depend on the condition of the black boxes. Appearing on the Prakhar Ke Pravachan podcast, Taneja said that everything that could go wrong on that fateful day went wrong. He said that, to the best of his understanding, the pilots accidentally killed the wrong engine after take-off, after one of the engines had already stalled on the runway. He also pointed to systemic issues in the airline industry, and questioned the reasons why experienced pilots could've made such an error. He said that pilots are often made to fly under fatigue, and on subpar aircraft that don't meet full safety requirements. Also read – Gaurav Taneja aka Flying Beast freezes as he simulates Air India Flight 171 crash: 'All you can do is watch the ground come at you' Explaining how data is recorded on flights, he said, 'There are two boxes, CVR (Cockpit Voice Recorder) and DFDR (Digital Flight Data Recorder). When I used to fly, the CVR would record the last two hours of communication. The DFDR is a comprehensive log of the flight, every possible data point is recorded. Pitch, bank, roll, fuel, everything… These are the two boxes that need to be recovered, which they were. But, surprisingly, they said that they've been damaged, and can't be processed here. So, they were sent to the US.' Taneja continued, 'That was shocking, because it was a Boeing aircraft. Boeing is an American company, and you've sent the boxes to America. There's a conflict of interest… The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau here falls under the government's ambit. There has been a fight to make it independent, because a body that's under the government can be easily manipulated… The reports that are made in India aren't made so that future accidents can be avoided; they're made to save someone.' Addressing the past complaints made against Boeing, Taneja said, 'The US economy relies on Boeing. It's a very big company. There are a couple of lawmakers who were initially at Boeing, and now they're in Congress. Boeing has power.' A few years ago, Boeing came under fire after two 737 Max aircraft crashed because of a software update that wasn't communicated properly to pilots or airlines. The entire fleet was grounded until the issue was addressed and resolved. Indian Express reported on June 20 that the decision on whether to send the black boxes abroad hasn't yet been finalised. 'The AAIB investigation is progressing steadily with all necessary support from local authorities and agencies. Key recovery work, including site documentation and evidence collection, has been completed, and further analysis is now underway,' the Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Thursday. 'It will depend on the condition. The investigators will have to ascertain the absolute integrity of the black boxes, and if they are confident about it, they would like to analyse them at the new lab instead of sending it to an overseas facility,' a source had earlier told The Indian Express.
