Ministry of Civil Aviation on Saturday reported that Air India aircraft that crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12 had reached a mere 650 feet when it began descending. Civil aviation secretary Samir Kumar Sinha in the first press conference after the tragic accident stated that the plane crashed into a medical hostel complex at Meghaninagar just a minute after taking off.
Sinha provided critical details in the briefing, stating, “The plane decreased its altitude after gaining a height of 650 feet. The pilot made a Mayday distress call to air traffic control at 1:39 PM. But as soon as ATC attempted to call the aircraft, there was no response. Within a minute, the aircraft crashed at Meghaninagar, roughly 2 km from the airport.”
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, present at the briefing, was also moved by the accident, which he called a tragedy that shook the country. “The accident close to the Ahmedabad airport has been highly traumatic for everyone. My deepest condolences are with the families who lost their loved ones. Having experienced loss, I can understand the suffering and agony they are facing,” he said.
The minister also added that there has been complete surveillance of Boeing 787 fleet of Air India, as directed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. “Out of 34 Dreamliners in India, eight of them have already been inspected,” he said.
The ill-fated Boeing 787 Dreamliner (AI 171) carried 242 people on board when it crashed shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. One was rescued, and 241 died, including 169 Indians, 53 British, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese nationals, and 12 crew. Nearly 20 others were also confirmed dead at the medical college complex site where the plane crashed.
Aviators have also theorized that the descent profile of the plane with a nose-up pitch—descending while flying nose-up—may be a sign of a sudden and extreme power loss. They, however, also warned that although the profile may be typical of an engine failure, it is only after a proper investigation that the actual reason can be arrived at.
