Latest news with #NorthwestIndia
The Independent
12-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
Fuel to Air India plane was cut off moments before crash, investigation report says
Fuel control switches for the engines of an Air India flight that crashed last month were moved from the 'run' to the 'cutoff' position moments before impact, starving both engines of fuel, a preliminary investigation report said early Saturday. The report, issued by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, also indicated that both pilots were confused over the change to the switch setting, which caused a loss of engine thrust shortly after takeoff. The Air India flight — a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner — crashed on June 12 and killed at least 260 people, including 19 on the ground, in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad. Only one passenger survived the crash, which is one of India's worst aviation disasters. The plane was carrying 230 passengers — 169 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian — along with 12 crew members. According to the report, the flight lasted around 30 seconds between takeoff and crash. It said that once the aircraft achieved its top recorded speed, 'the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another" within a second. The report did not say how the switches could have flipped to the cutoff position during the flight. The movement of the fuel control switches allow and cut fuel flow to the plane's engines. The switches were flipped back into the run position, the report said, but the plane could not gain power quickly enough to stop its descent after the aircraft had begun to lose altitude. 'One of the pilots transmitted ''MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY',' the report said. It also indicated confusion in the cockpit moments before the crash. In the flight's final moment, one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel. 'The other pilot responded that he did not do so,' the report said. The plane's black boxes — combined cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders — were recovered in the days following the crash and later downloaded in India. Indian authorities had also ordered deeper checks of Air India's entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner to prevent future incidents. Air India has 33 Dreamliners in its fleet.
CBC
17-06-2025
- CBC
Raw video shows Air India flight crashing moments after takeoff
An Air India passenger plane bound for London crashed 5 minutes after takeoff Thursday in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad, according to the airline. They say 53 British citizens, seven from Portugal and one Canadian citizen were among the 242 passengers and crew on board the flight. WARNING: This video contains graphic footage.
CBC
12-06-2025
- General
- CBC
What we know about the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in the deadly Air India crash
Social Sharing What do we know about the plane in the Air India flight bound for London with more than 240 people on board that crashed on Thursday in northwestern India? The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into Meghani Nagar, a residential area in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad, about five minutes after taking off. Officials have said there are no known survivors. In a social media post, Air India said that in addition to 169 Indian nationals, there were 53 British citizens, seven from Portugal and one Canadian citizen on board. Here's what we know about the plane. Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner The 787 Dreamliner is a widebody, twin-engined plane. The 787-8 typically holds 248 passengers and the larger and longer-range 787-9 carries 296 people. The largest variant, the 787-10, which also has the smallest range, has 336 seats, according to Boeing data. The 787-8 aircraft involved in Thursday's accident was delivered in 2014 and is the smallest of three variants. The aircraft was introduced in 2009 and more than 1,000 have been delivered to dozens of airlines, according to the Flightradar24 website. American Airlines has the largest Dreamliner fleet, while Air Canada also has dozens in operation. 1st fatal crash of Boeing 787 The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is one of the most advanced jets in service, and experts say it has a generally strong safety record, with no previous fatal accidents. "It's the first fatal crash for the 787," Keith Mackey, president of aviation consulting firm Mackey International and a former pilot, told CBC News Network on Thursday morning. "Boeing will certainly be involved in the investigation, and hopefully we figure out what caused it, so it never happens again." IN PHOTOS | Scenes from the crash: Aircraft accidents are still incredibly rare, Prof. Graham Braithwaite, director of aerospace and aviation at Cranfield University in the U.K., told the Science Media Center. "Especially involving modern aircraft types such as the Boeing 787." Other, non-fatal accidents In July 2013, an empty Ethiopian Airlines 787 caught fire on the ground at Heathrow airport in London in an incident later linked to a short-circuit in an emergency locator transmitter. Also in 2013, regulators temporarily grounded the global 787 fleet following the overheating of lithium batteries on two Japanese planes in Tokyo and Boston, resulting in design changes. In March last year, at least 50 people were hurt when a 787 operated by LATAM Airlines dropped abruptly in mid-flight from Sydney to Auckland. Investigators focused on an involuntary forward movement in the pilot seat. What happened in India The plane appeared to make a normal takeoff and climbed to about 625 feet, "when the data ceased to be transmitted," Mackey told CBC News Network. From there, the plane starts descending, "as if it had lost power," Mackey said, adding that he is just speculating, but from the video he's seen, that's what it looks like. "Why did we not climb and descend instead?" he asked. It's unusual for a crash to occur so soon after takeoff, Braithwaite said. "Takeoff is a critical stage, because the aircraft is still accelerating and any problem-solving requires a rapid response," he said. Boeing 787s in Canada WestJet and Air Canada both have 787s in their fleet. Air Canada flies eight Boeing 787-8s and 32 787-9s, according to its website. They fly the Dreamliners on 31 routes around the world. WestJet flies seven Boeing 787-9s, but no 787-8s, according to its website. The 787-9 is the largest aircraft in its fleet. Recent Boeing issues The Max version of Boeing's best-selling 737 airplane has been the source of persistent troubles for Boeing after two of the jets crashed. The crashes, one in Indonesia in 2018 and another in Ethiopia in 2019, killed 346. The Breakdown | Boeing's complicated safety history 1 year ago Duration 18:16 The National breaks down Boeing's complicated safety history, what's changed five years after the Max-8 crashes and the impact of the Alaska Airlines mid-air blowout earlier this year. The problem stemmed from a sensor providing faulty readings that pushed the nose down, leaving pilots unable to regain control. After the second crash, Max jets were grounded worldwide until the company redesigned the system. Last month, the Justice Department reached a deal to allow Boeing to avoid criminal prosecution for allegedly misleading U.S. regulators about the Max before the two crashes. Worries about the plane flared up again after a door plug blew off a Max operated by Alaska Airlines, leading regulators to cap Boeing's production at 38 jets per month.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Air India passenger plane with 244 aboard crashes in India's northwestern Ahmedabad city
An Air India passenger plane with 244 people onboard crashed Thursday in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad, the airline and local media reported.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Delhi's ‘real feel' temperature hits 48.5C as humidity fuels heat stress
Delhi 's oppressive heat has surged to dangerous levels, with a heat index – or "real feel" temperature – reaching 48.5C on Monday despite the actual air temperature being 40.8C. The spike, driven by high humidity levels between 44 and 74 per cent, made the day feel significantly hotter than the seasonal average, according to the India Meteorological Department. The Indian capital's wet bulb temperature, another metric used to assess heat stress, was recorded at 28.87C. If this crosses 32C, even fit and acclimatised individuals may struggle to stay safe outdoors. At 35C, humans can no longer cool themselves effectively, risking heatstroke or collapse. May is typically the driest and hottest month in Delhi, with low humidity and high temperatures. Experts blame a series of western disturbances, which brought cyclonic circulations and moisture incursion from the Arabian Sea, for raising humidity across northwest India. The combination of heat and humidity has been getting worse for Delhi over the years. A new analysis by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water notes that humidity in Delhi has risen by 9 per cent since 2011. The analysis, released on Tuesday, lists Delhi among the 10 most heat-risk regions in India, with over half of its districts now classified as 'very high risk'. 'It's not just about hotter days, nights aren't cooling down enough, worsening heat stress for millions,' the report warns, noting that Delhi now sees six more 'very warm' nights each summer than a decade ago. Delhi's power demand reflects the strain, hitting 7,265MW on Monday afternoon, the highest in the May 1–19 period in four years. High population density, shrinking green cover and the dominance of concrete are feeding Delhi's growing urban heat island effect, which traps heat and prevents night-time cooling, the report said. This intense humid heat comes almost a year after Delhi's Mungeshpur locality recorded a temperature of over 50C in June 2024. The weather department later said it was likely due to a sensor error, revising the figure down to around 49C. Indian health ministry figures showed over 40,000 suspected heatstroke cases and at least 110 deaths between March and June last year, with most districts in the country facing high heatwave risk. Experts say underreporting remains a major issue. This year, severe conditions are once again being felt across northern India. The met department has forecast some relief for Delhi through the week, with chances of light rain and gusty winds. But high humidity is expected to persist, keeping heat stress levels dangerously elevated. Delhi's heatwave is part of a wider pattern. Pakistan's Sindh province recently reported temperatures as high as 49C and multiple regions across Asia, Africa and the Americas have already experienced deadly heat this year. The World Meteorological Organisation has confirmed 2024 as the warmest year ever recorded globally, with average temperatures 1.55C above pre-industrial levels. With oceans warmer than ever and El Niño amplifying surface heat, scientists say 2025 may continue to bring record-breaking events unless urgent emissions cuts are made. As urban heat stress intensifies, experts emphasise the need for local heat action plans, early warning systems, and infrastructure upgrades. Vulnerable populations, particularly outdoor workers, the elderly, and children, remain at highest risk. Delhi may see some respite in the coming days, according to the national forecaster, as an early onset of monsoon is expected to bring temperatures down by the end of May.
