Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianL99
(Post 2438630)
You couldn't possibly have posted anything more irresponsible, than blaming someone for the deaths of 254+ people, based on viewing a Youtube video.
Do you have an FAA Airman's Certificate? Do you know not all airplanes use "flaps" for takeoff? Do you know the circumstances when flaps aren't used?
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The Straits Times logo
Air India plane crash draws attention to flaps and landing gear
epa12172316 Officials inspect the site of a plane crash near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, western India, 12 June 2025. Air India flight AI171, bound for London carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, crashed minutes after take-off in the Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad.
Officials inspect the site of a plane crash near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, India, on June 12.PHOTO: EPA-EFE
UPDATED JUN 13, 2025, 06:45 AM
Video of the Air India jetliner that crashed into a neighbourhood points to potential anomalies that aviation safety authorities will examine to understand what caused the accident that killed at least 241 people.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner appeared to not achieve sufficient thrust as it lumbered down nearly the full length of an 11,000-foot runway, a distance that should have been more than enough to take off, said Mr Bob Mann, head of aviation consultant RW Mann.
That could stem from a misconfiguration of the plane prior to takeoff or erroneous weight data entered into the plane’s computer system that determines how much power is needed to get off the ground, he said.
Mr Mann cautioned that his views were unofficial and not corroborated by data or cockpit voice recorders, which have yet to be recovered from the site.
“If the weight is high compared to the actual number, you end up with a very aggressive takeoff,” he said. “If the weight is low compared to the actual, you end up with not enough commanded power.”
The 787’s landing gear was never retracted, which normally occurs just after takeoff, said Mr Jeff Guzzetti, a former accident investigation chief for the US Federal Aviation Administration.
He also said he’d want to know more about whether the plane’s flaps – movable panels along the wing that generate additional lift during takeoff – were in the correct position, noting that it was possible those were raised mistakenly instead of the landing gear.
“You don’t see any smoke or fire or engines burping or anything like that. You don’t see any structural failure occurring,” Mr Guzzetti said. “It just appears the airplane was unable to climb once it got off the runway.”
That could be due to several reasons, he said, including the flaps being raised instead of the landing gear or improper programming of the flight control computer.
“We just don’t know at this time,” he said.
Mr Mann said the flaps appeared to be incorrectly positioned, adding that trying to belatedly adjust the flaps could lead to an aerodynamic stall.