Latest news with #GroundProximityWarningSystem
Arab Times
03-07-2025
- General
- Arab Times
Air India pilots grounded after new takeoff scare follows Ahmedabad crash
NEW DELHI, India, July 3: Just 38 hours after the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad that claimed over 260 lives on 12 June, another aircraft from the same airline experienced a serious safety incident. A Boeing 777 operating as Flight AI187 from Delhi to Vienna reportedly lost approximately 900 feet in altitude shortly after takeoff and triggered multiple cockpit warnings, according to The Times of India. The incident occurred in the early hours of 14 June, with the aircraft departing Delhi at 2:56 a.m. amidst thunderstorms. Flight tracking data shows that the aircraft descended unexpectedly, prompting critical alerts such as a 'stall warning' and the 'don't sink' Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) caution—both indicators of an abnormal loss of lift and altitude that require immediate pilot intervention to prevent a crash. Despite the scare, the flight was stabilized and continued to Vienna without further incident. However, both pilots have since been grounded as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India's aviation regulator, investigates the event. The regulator has also summoned Air India's head of safety for questioning. Officials familiar with the matter revealed that multiple warnings were issued during the flight's climb phase. 'Soon after takeoff, the aircraft experienced stick shaker warnings and GPWS 'don't sink' cautions. A stall warning appeared once, while the GPWS alert triggered twice,' an official was quoted as saying. Initial flight reports reportedly mentioned only a 'stick shaker due to turbulence,' without reference to the more severe alerts. However, subsequent analysis of data from the flight data recorder confirmed the presence of both stall and GPWS warnings. These findings have surfaced amid intensified regulatory scrutiny following the Ahmedabad crash. In response to the incident, the DGCA has ordered enhanced inspections of Air India's Boeing 787 and 777 fleets. As a precaution, Air India has temporarily reduced its international wide-body operations by 15 percent to facilitate thorough safety checks. An Air India spokesperson confirmed the airline's compliance with regulatory protocols. 'Upon receipt of the pilot's report, the matter was disclosed to DGCA in accordance with regulations. Subsequently, upon receipt of data from the aircraft's recorders, further investigation was initiated. The pilots have been off-rostered pending the outcome of the investigation,' the spokesperson said. Meanwhile, a preliminary report on the fatal Ahmedabad crash is expected to be released by 11 July, according to NDTV.
Mint
01-07-2025
- General
- Mint
Hours after AI171 crash, another Air India flight dropped 900 feet mid-air; DGCA orders probe, pilots taken off duty
The 12 June Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad had taken the world by shock, with over 270 people — including 241 on board — losing their lives. While the country was still recovering from the fatal crash, another Air India wide-body aircraft came close to a presumably serious accident. According to a report by The Times of India, within 38 hours of the Ahmedabad plane crash, a Delhi-Vienna Boeing 777 aircraft operating as AI187 received multiple critical warnings shortly after its takeoff. Officials aware of the matter and cited by the newspaper confirmed that the Delhi-Vienna Air India aircraft dropped approximately 900 feet during its initial climb. During this time, the wide-body aircraft, registered as VT-ALJ, got a stall warning, as well as two 'don't sink' cautions from the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS). The warnings alerted the crew about an unusual loss in altitude. 'The aircraft was involved in an inflight occurrence of stick shaker and GPWS caution. Soon after takeoff, stick shaker warning and GPWS don't sink caution appeared. Stall warning came once and GPWS caution came twice. There was an altitude loss of around 900 feet during climb,' officials quoted by TOI said. Luckily, the pilots were able to recover the aircraft and it landed safely in Vienna. "Subsequently, the crew recovered the aircraft and continued the flight to Vienna,' the officials were quoted as saying. Stick shaker warning refers to when the control column on the flight deck shakes and makes noise to summon urgent attention of the pilot, detecting something is not right. As per data from flight tracking websites, the incident happened on June 14 amid a bad weather as the Delhi-Vienna aircraft took off at 2:56 am. At that moment, a thunderstorm was engulfing Delhi, TOI reported. Officials said initial Air India flight report showed that the pilots received 'stick shaker due turbulence after takeoff mentioned and not the other occurrences in detail'. However, when authorities probed the B777's flight data recorder (DFDR), perhaps following the DGCA's orders to enhance safety, it was found that there were other warning like GPWS don't sink caution and stall warning in play. An Air India spokesperson quoted by TOI said that a probe has been initiated and the pilots have been taken off duty. 'Upon receipt of the pilot's report, the matter was disclosed to DGCA in accordance with regulations. Subsequently, upon receipt of data from the aircraft's recorders, further investigation was initiated. The pilots have been off-rostered pending the outcome of the investigation,' the spokesperson said.
Hindustan Times
01-07-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Hours after AI171 crash, Delhi-Vienna Air India flight got ‘stall', ‘don't sink' warnings during climb: Report
Just 38 hours after the fatal AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad that claimed over 260 lives on June 12, another Air India flight—AI 187 bound for Vienna—faced a serious in-flight warning. The Boeing 777 reportedly triggered a Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) alert, specifically a 'don't sink' warning, after the aircraft reportedly lost around 900 feet of altitude during its climb from Delhi. AI's head of safety has been summoned, and both pilots have been removed from flying duties until the probe concludes.(Reuters File) The pilots, however, managed to stabilise the aircraft and continued the flight safely to Vienna, according to a Times of India report. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation into the incident. AI's head of safety has been summoned, and both pilots have been removed from flying duties until the probe concludes, the report added. What happened to AI 187? According to flight tracking websites, the Boeing 777 (registration VT-ALJ) departed Delhi at 2:56 am on June 14 amid stormy weather conditions. Delhi was experiencing a thunderstorm at the time. Officials familiar with the matter told The TOI, 'The aircraft was involved in an inflight occurrence of stick shaker and GPWS caution. Soon after takeoff, stick shaker warning and GPWS don't sink caution appeared. Stall warning came once and GPWS caution came twice. There was an altitude loss of around 900 feet during climb. Subsequently, the crew recovered the aircraft and continued the flight to Vienna.' The "stick shaker" is a warning system where the control column in the cockpit vibrates and emits a loud sound to alert pilots that immediate action is required due to a critical flight condition. In this incident, the pilots responded effectively, and the flight landed safely in Vienna after a 9-hour and 8-minute journey. Due to extended flight paths caused by current airspace restrictions, the aircraft made a scheduled technical stop in Europe before continuing to Toronto with a different set of crew members. However, officials noted that the flight report for the Delhi-Vienna leg only recorded 'stick shaker due to turbulence after takeoff' and did not mention other critical alerts in detail. It was during a later analysis of the aircraft's flight data recorder (DFDR) – possibly as part of heightened oversight following the AI 171 crash – that additional warnings, such as the 'don't sink' caution and the stall alert, came to light. AI 171 crash Air India Flight AI-171 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, resulting in the deaths of 241 out of 242 people on board. It was the first fatal accident involving a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the country's premier aviation crash investigation body, is heading the inquiry. Authorities confirmed that the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR)—commonly referred to as black boxes—were retrieved from the crash site and sent to Delhi for analysis. According to the government, analysis of the black box data is currently underway. Investigators are working to piece together the final moments of the flight to determine the likely cause of the tragedy. Several potential factors are being examined, including sudden engine failure or power loss, technical malfunctions, or possible human error. Experts say the definitive cause will only be known once the black box analysis is complete.
Mint
01-07-2025
- General
- Mint
Hours after Ahmedabad crash, another Air India flight dropped 900 feet mid-air; DGCA orders probe, pilots taken off duty
The June 12 Air India plane crash had taken the world by shock, with over 270 people — including 241 on board — losing their lives. While the country was still recovering from the fatal crash, another Air India wide body aircraft came close to a presumably serious accident. According to a report by The Times of India, within 38 hours of the Ahmedabad plane crash, a Delhi-Vienna Boeing 777 aircraft operating as AI187 received multiple critical warnings shortly after its takeoff. Officials aware of the matter and cited by the newspaper confirmed that the Delhi-Vienna Air India aircraft dropped approximately 900 feet during its initial climb. During this time, the wide-body aircraft, registered as VT-ALJ, got a stall warning, as well as two 'don't sink' cautions from the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS). The warnings alerted the crew about an unusual loss in altitude. 'The aircraft was involved in an inflight occurrence of stick shaker and GPWS caution. Soon after takeoff, stick shaker warning and GPWS don't sink caution appeared. Stall warning came once and GPWS caution came twice. There was an altitude loss of around 900 feet during climb,' officials quoted by TOI said. Luckily, the pilots were able to recover the aircraft and it landed safely in Vienna. "Subsequently, the crew recovered the aircraft and continued the flight to Vienna,' the officials were quoted as saying. Stick shaker warning refers to when the control column on the flight deck shakes and makes noise to summon urgent attention of the pilot, detecting something is not right. As per data from flight tracking websites, the incident happened on June 14 amid a bad weather as the Delhi-Vienna aircraft took off at 2:56 am. At that moment, a thunderstorm was engulfing Delhi, TOI reported. Officials said initial Air India flight report showed that the pilots received 'stick shaker due turbulence after takeoff mentioned and not the other occurrences in detail'. However, when authorities probed the B777's flight data recorder (DFDR), perhaps following the DGCA's orders to enhance safety, it was found that there were other warning like GPWS don't sink caution and stall warning in play. An Air India spokesperson quoted by TOI said that a probe has been initiated and the pilots have been taken off duty. 'Upon receipt of the pilot's report, the matter was disclosed to DGCA in accordance with regulations. Subsequently, upon receipt of data from the aircraft's recorders, further investigation was initiated. The pilots have been off-rostered pending the outcome of the investigation,' the spokesperson said. According to the report, the DGCA has taken a stern note of the June 14 incident, especially after the Air India plane crash on June 12
Saudi Gazette
13-03-2025
- General
- Saudi Gazette
EasyJet investigating after pilot reportedly flew too close to mountain
LONDON — EasyJet is investigating an incident in which a pilot reportedly flew too close to a mountain, triggering a warning alarm. The pilot has been stood down from duty by the low-cost carrier pending an investigation into the incident on February 2. According to a report originally in the Sun newspaper but widely picked up by British media, the episode took place as the Airbus A320, which had set off from Manchester, England, descended toward the popular Red Sea resort of Hurghada in Egypt. According to the Sun, the flight came within 771 feet of the mountain's peak at an altitude of 2,329 feet. There were up to 190 passengers and crew onboard flight EZY2251 when a siren alert sounded in the cockpit after the Ground Proximity Warning System was triggered, the Sun reported. The pilot reacted by leveling up the plane, which landed safely. Confirming the episode, a spokesperson for the UK government's Air Accidents Investigation Branch, which investigates civil aviation accidents and serious incidents, told CNN in an email: 'We are aware of an incident involving an aircraft on route from Manchester, UK to Hurghada, Egypt on 2nd February. We are making inquiries and liaising with our counterparts in Egypt.' EasyJet told CNN in a statement that the pilot is currently grounded while an investigation is carried out. 'Safety is the number one priority for all our pilots, they are trained to the highest industry standards, subject to rigorous testing and monitored closely,' the airline said, adding: 'The flight landed normally and as we have an ongoing investigation, the pilot remains stood down from duty in line with procedures.' — CNN
