Air India Plane Crash Investigation Uncovers New Evidence: Emergency Generator as Primary Power Source
The ongoing investigation into the horrific Air India plane crash that claimed the lives of 270 people is yielding new insights, with officials now speculating that the aircraft may have been running on emergency power at the time of the disaster. The Boeing Dreamliner plane, which was on a routine flight from Ahmedabad, India, crashed into a medical college building mere seconds after taking off, resulting in the tragic loss of life. As investigators continue to study the wreckage, they are focusing on the pilots' last words, including a mayday call made by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and co-pilot Clive Kundar, who had 8,200 and 1,100 hours of flying experience, respectively.
Key Takeaways:
- Investigators believe that the Air India plane crash may have been caused by the aircraft running on emergency power, with an emergency generator potentially being the primary power source.
- The plane suffered a dual engine failure, although the cause of the failure is yet to be determined.
- The cockpit voice recorder has been recovered, and investigators are set to study the pilots' last words for any clues on the cause of the crash.
- Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and his co-pilot Clive Kundar made a mayday call seconds after taking off, with the captain desperately saying: "Mayday...no thrust, losing power, unable to lift."
- Swiss pilots reportedly have a hidden agreement on the last phrase they utter before their demise, with the phrase being "Goodbye everybody."
- This practice is deeply rooted in the culture of Swiss captains, and it has been observed in historical plane crashes, including the 1970 Swiss Air disaster.
Statistics:
- 270 people lost their lives in the Air India plane crash.
- The plane crashed mere seconds after taking off.
- 242 passengers were on board.
- Captain Sumeet Sabharwal had 8,200 hours of flying experience.
- Co-pilot Clive Kundar had 1,100 hours of flying experience.
- The cockpit voice recorder was recovered from the wreckage.
- 38 travellers and nine crew members lost their lives in the 1970 Swiss Air disaster.
Sources:
- "Air India plane crash: Boeing Dreamliner slams into medical college building killing 270" by The Independent
- "What Swiss pilots say before crash (in their last words)" by Richard Paul, Quora
- "The Plane That Was Never Found: The Haunting Story of Swissair Flight 330" by The Express