More than two weeks after the deadly Air India plane crash that killed all but one of the 242 people on board, investigators and the airline are examining the possibility of a dual engine failure that might have prevented the Boeing 787 from staying airborne, according to a Bloomberg report.
Pilots from the airline recreated the doomed flight’s conditions in a simulator, using the same aircraft parameters such as flying with the landing gear deployed and the wing flaps retracted. Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the investigation, that the simulator exercise indicated these settings alone would not have led to a crash.
The report said the simulation was conducted independently of the official probe by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and was carried out to explore potential scenarios.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12 was powered by two General Electric engines. Video footage of the crash showed the plane struggling to gain altitude after takeoff before falling back to the ground and exploding.
Bloomberg says that Boeing declined to comment and directed queries to the AAIB. General Electric said it could not comment on an ongoing investigation. The AAIB and Air India also did not respond to Bloomberg’s requests for comment.
The reason why both engines may have lost power at the same time remains unclear. However, according to Bloomberg, investigators are closely analysing the data from the two flight recorders, which have already been recovered. While several possibilities are being examined, the focus has narrowed to potential technical issues.
Pilots who reviewed the available footage have said that the landing gear appeared to be partially tilted forward, suggesting the cockpit crew may have initiated the retraction sequence. However, the landing-gear doors remained closed, which some experts believe could indicate a loss of power or hydraulic failure. This again raises the possibility of engine-related problems, as the engines supply power to critical systems on the aircraft.
Modern aircraft engines are controlled by a system called Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC), which ensures precise management of engine performance. It was reported that an emergency power turbine known as the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) had deployed before the crash. This turbine provides emergency electrical power in the event of engine failure but does not offer enough power to sustain flight.
Wreckage analysis reportedly showed that the wing flaps and slats, which help increase lift during takeoff, were properly extended. The crash is considered the most serious accident in Indian civil aviation in several decades and is the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The pilots had issued a Mayday call shortly after takeoff. According to Bloomberg, sources familiar with the investigation said there was a gap of only about 15 seconds between the distress call and impact.
Teams from Boeing and the US National Transportation Safety Board are supporting the investigation on the ground.
It remains unclear when authorities will release detailed findings from the flight recorders, which typically provide critical information on cockpit conversations and the technical status of the aircraft, Bloomberg added.
