Flight 171 had an emergency-power generator operating when it crashed last week, raising questions about whether the plane’s engines functioned properly during takeoff, Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The preliminary finding, according to people familiar with the probe, gives investigators a new line of inquiry as they study a crash that killed all but one of the plane’s passengers. In all, at least 270 people died following the crash, including some on the ground in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad.The Air India flight reached an altitude of 625 feet in clear conditions before it stopped transmitting location data, just 50 seconds into the flight. Efforts to contact the cockpit after it issued a mayday call drew no response.
The emergency system is known as a ram air turbine. It is a small propeller that drops from the bottom of the 787 Dreamliner’s fuselage to serve as a backup generator.
Engines normally produce electricity for an aircraft and help run its flight-control systems. The power generated by the RAT can enable crucial aircraft components to function.
The system can deploy automatically in flight if both engines have failed or if all three hydraulic system pressures are low, according to an airline’s Boeing 787 manual reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. It can also deploy if cockpit instruments lose power or problems emerge with the aircraft’s electric motor pumps.
India's Aviation watchdog, DGCA on Tuesday also held a detailed review meeting with top Air India and Air India Express executives on Tuesday with regard to the crash. The top aviation regulator said surveillance of Air India's Boeing 787 fleet did not reveal any major safety concerns in the wake of the fatal plane crash.
DGCA gives clean chit to Boeing 787 fleet, flags maintenance concerns at Air IndiaAt the review meeting, the DGCA flagged concerns regarding recent maintenance-related issues reported at Air India.
On the "Enhanced Safety Inspection of B787-8/9 fleet of Air India, the DGCA said that a total of 24 aircraft successfully completed the required check till 3PM of June 17.
An additional two aircraft are planned for completion today, with one more scheduled for Wednesday, it said and added that the remaining six aircraft include two aircraft (VT-ANG and VT-ANT), which are presently grounded at Delhi.
Ahmedabad plane crash: Air India, Boeing may face ‘unlimited’ liability if found negligent
The checks on these two will be carried out post-declaration of serviceability and prior to their return to service.
Four of the 33 aircraft are currently undergoing major checks at various MRO facilities and will undergo the mandated check prior to their release from the respective maintenance hangars, DGCA said.
On June 13, a day after the B787-8 crash that killed 241 people on board, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation ordered enhanced surveillance of Air India's Boeing 787 fleet, comprising 26 787-8 and seven 787-9.
"The recent surveillance conducted on Air India's Boeing 787 fleet did not reveal any major safety concerns. The aircraft and associated maintenance systems were found to be compliant with existing safety standards," DGCA said in a statement.
As many as 66 flights that were to be operated with B787 aircraft were cancelled from June 12 to June 17. During this period, the airline operated 248 flights with B787.
To address the maintenance-related issues, DGCA has issued certain directions to the Tata Group-owned airlines.
"The airline was advised to strengthen internal coordination across engineering, operations, ground handling units and ensure availability of adequate spares to mitigate passenger delays resulting from such issues and strictly adhere to regulations," the statement.
Air India and Air India Express operate over 1,000 flights daily.
The regulator has recommended the implementation of a more systematic and real-time defect reporting mechanism to ensure that operational and safety-critical departments receive timely updates. This is expected to enhance overall decision-making and reduce downstream disruptions.
The meeting was convened to review the operational robustness of the airlines and ensure continued compliance with safety and passenger service regulations.
Meanwhile, the Iranian airspace closure has disrupted flight operations by Indian carriers to European and Gulf countries.
"The impact of recent airspace closures, particularly over Iranian airspace, was reviewed. The closures have led to flight diversions, delays, and cancellations.
"The operators have been asked to ensure timely communication with passengers and crew and adopt alternate routing strategies to minimize disruptions," the statement said.
The DGCA also said that passengers should be informed well in advance regarding delays and cancellations.
"Emphasis was placed on effective passenger facilitation and timely dissemination of information through all available channels," it added.
