Air India Flight 171 Crash: Probe into Engine Thrust, Flaps, and Landing Gear Failure

Initial Investigation and Eyewitness Accounts

• ✈️ Air India flight 171 crashed in Gujarat, India, shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, resulting in the deaths of 241 passengers and crew, and 24 on the ground.
• 💥 Videos suggest the plane struggled to gain altitude, possibly due to a lack of thrust or power.
• 📞 The co-pilot issued a Mayday call shortly after takeoff, but there was no further communication from the aircraft.
• 🤕 The sole survivor reported hearing a loud bang as the plane attempted to climb.
• 📉 Final data indicated the plane reached 625 ft before descending and crashing into a residential building.

Potential Causes Under Scrutiny

• ⚙️ One speculation involves an extremely rare double engine failure, potentially caused by fuel contamination or clogging.
• ⚡ The functionality of the ram air turbine, an emergency backup system, is also being investigated.
• 🐦 Another possibility is a bird strike, a known hazard at Ahmedabad airport, though it would typically need to affect both engines to be catastrophic.

Flap and Landing Gear Theories

• 🛫 A prominent theory suggests the aircraft's flaps were not extended during takeoff, which is crucial for generating lift at lower speeds.
• ⚠️ A particularly concerning theory is that the co-pilot may have accidentally raised the flaps instead of retracting the landing gear, leading to excessive drag and loss of lift.
• 🛠️ Investigators, joined by experts from the US and UK, are examining the black box and debris to determine the exact cause of the crash.