Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 13 : Aviation expert Devesh Agarwal on Friday stressed that plane crashes are rarely caused by a single factor and called for a thorough investigation into the crash of Air India flight AI-171 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in Gujarat's Ahmedabad.
Speaking to ANI, Agarwal said, "Accidents never happen due to a single point of reason. There are always a series of reasons. That's why it is important to investigate this matter..."
Backing the aircraft's credibility, he added, "This 787 Dreamliner plane is the most modern plane. It is the latest aircraft of Boeing...All the safety systems are intact...The engines used in this flight are not a new development. The engines installed here are very reliable engines. All the airlines, regulators and others trust this aircraft because it can keep the plane flying for 6 hours straight."
He also noted, "The whole world has its eyes on this accident...As of right now, we have around hundreds of 787 flights flying in the world."
Another aviation expert, Ajay Ramakrishnan, stressed the need for patience until the flight data is fully analysed.
"There were two engines in the aircraft... All aircraft engaged in commercial operations are capable of sustaining flight even if one engine fails. This plane should have been able to continue the flight even if one of its engines had failed. If this didn't happen, we wouldn't be able to tell what exactly happened. We need to wait for the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) is retrieved... Based on whatever we know, the power of both engines, for unknown reasons, decreased or finished, due to which it could not sustain the aircraft and it came down. We can't say much beyond this at this stage," Ramakrishnan said.
On Thursday, the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating as flight AI 171, was en route to London from Ahmedabad when it crashed shortly after takeoff. There were 242 people on board, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members.
Of the passengers, 241 died in the crash. The lone survivor, identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment.
Meanwhile, on Friday, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) confirmed the recovery of the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), commonly referred to as the black box, from the rooftop of a building at the crash site.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation clarified that, contrary to circulating reports, a video recorder that had been recovered at the crash site was not the DFDR.
The AAIB has launched a full-scale investigation into the crash, with over 40 staff from the Gujarat State Government joining efforts to support the Ministry of Civil Aviation teams on the ground.
The black box, a critical piece of evidence, will be analysed to determine the cause of the tragic crash that claimed the lives of 241 people onboard, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.
"Contrary to some reports, the video recorder being circulated is not the DFDR (Digital Flight Data Recorder). The black box was found on the rooftop. AAIB began work with full force immediately. Over 40 staff from the State Government joined efforts to augment MoCA teams on site. The DFDR has been recovered from the rooftop," the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said in a statement.
The investigation is underway, and the recovered DFDR is expected to provide vital insights into the events leading up to the disaster.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and met the survivor and other injured people.
According to airline authorities, the passengers on board included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national.