Air India Flight 171 Crash: Ram Air Turbine Deployment Suggests Dual Engine Failure

Air India Flight 171 Crash Evidence

• ✈️ A new video of the Air India Flight 171 crash suggests the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) was deployed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad.
• 🔊 The video distinctly captures the RAT's high-pitched sound, corroborating a survivor's account of a loud bang within 30 seconds of takeoff.
• ⚠️ The RAT is an emergency device that activates only under extreme circumstances, such as total engine or power failure.

Ram Air Turbine Functionality

• 💡 The RAT is a wind turbine deployed into the airstream to generate power when primary and secondary power sources fail.
• ⚙️ Its deployment indicates a grave emergency, potentially a total electrical failure, crippling hydraulic failure, or dual engine failure, or a combination thereof.
• 📉 While the RAT provides enough power for essential flight systems, it is most useful at higher altitudes for regaining control or landing.

Circumstances of the Crash

• 💥 A dual engine failure is described as a rarest of rare events.
• 📉 The aircraft, carrying 242 people, was at a critical low altitude of 625 feet when the RAT was deployed, making its emergency power less effective.
• ❓ The plane made a Mayday call almost immediately after takeoff, but no response was given by the aircraft.
• 🧰 Two black boxes have been retrieved from the crash site, which are expected to provide critical information about the final moments.

Potential Causes

• ⛽ A fuel problem or engine defect could have led to the simultaneous shutdown of both engines.
• 🧪 A sudden fuel contamination or fuel starvation scenario is also considered a possibility for the dual engine failure.
• 🔍 The presence of a small gray dot, believed to be the deployed RAT, in early crash site images fuels speculation about its timing.