Air India replaced the Throttle Control Module (TCM) of the crashed Boeing 787-8 plane twice in the last six years following a directive from Boeing in 2019, sources said on Sunday. The replacement of the TCM twice -- in 2019 and 2023 -- was mentioned in the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) preliminary probe report into the crash that was released on Saturday.
Authorities have so far identified 31 victims of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad through DNA testing and 12 families have claimed the mortal remains till now, an official said on Sunday.
A government employee in Kerala has been suspended for making an offensive comment on Facebook about a Keralite nurse who died in the Ahmedabad plane crash.
All the 12 cabin crew members, including two pilots, on board the ill-fated London-bound Air India flight were killed in the Ahmedabad air crash on Thursday.
'The AAIB will collect every single retrievable piece of the aircraft and transport it to a secure location -- usually a large hangar capable of housing a Boeing 787.' 'The entire aircraft will be laid out, each part marked and tagged, and practically rebuilt like a jigsaw puzzle.'
Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the June 12 Air India plane crash, is seeking psychiatric help to cope with the trauma of the event and the loss of his brother.
Air India pilots said Ahmedabad airport has long been known for bird activity near the runway, which could have contributed to the incident.
Thursday's deadly crash shattered all the dreams and hopes for a happy future Ankita carried with her on board the ill-fated London-bound Air India aircraft that killed 265 people and left behind a trail of destruction and grief-stricken families.
Bhavik's father Arjun Maheshwari fought back his tears as he spoke to media persons a day after the tragedy.
Neither anyone from the airline (Air India), nor from the government has contacted them so far, he said.
'A Mayday at 600-800 feet followed by descent to 450 feet suggests the pilot still had control.'
'Look at the number of flights the aircraft has done. Look at the number of airlines which are using it.'
'He is a man of action and goes to the ground and solves the problem.' 'Be it the Air India crash of Ahmedabad, Morbi bridge collapse, Deesa blast or Gambhira bridge collapse, he is on the spot.'
'The goal is a 360-degree reconstruction of the flight's final minutes to ensure nothing is overlooked.'
Several foreign experts were seen scouting the crash site for the last two days, checking the debris to find clues.
'A few answers for the reason of the crash will be known -- whether it was a technical fault, design issue, human error etc.'
'Data retrieval is just one part. Investigators also examine physical wreckage, pilot logs, and maintenance records.'
'If major components of any dead body from which you can retrieve DNA is available, that is enough.'
The area around the crash site is densely populated.
'Visualise those 15 to 18 seconds: Fully loaded aircraft, pilot manually controlling with both hands (no autopilot immediately after takeoff), looking forward while switches are behind.'
India's last three major commercial aviation accidents --Patna (2000), Mangaluru (2010), and Kozhikode (2020) -- could offer critical safety lessons for the ongoing investigation.
'The switch can't be shut off by an accidental brush of the hand, but needs effort, conscious physical action to operate it.' 'Was it the software of the aeroplane that caused the switch to turn off?' 'Was it the hardware of the aeroplane?' 'Was it both software and hardware put together?'
'That refresh programme -- because they are big aircraft and we cannot ground them all at the same time -- will last well into 2027.'
Aviation expert Captain Mohan Ranganathan claims human error led to the Air India plane crash and calls for more transparency in the AAIB's preliminary report.
'The overall well-being of the pilots should be at the top of any airline's agenda in such situations.'
Vijay Rupani was among 242 persons on board a London-bound Air India flight that crashed into a building of a medical college and hostel in the Meghaninagar area moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon.
'In multi-pilot operations, no critical switch can be moved without the other pilot's consent.'
'...rectification has to happen then and there, and that takes additional time.'
With the finding of both black boxes of the plane, it would be easy for investigators to ascertain the cause of the crash.
'Other than blaming the pilot, there is zero accountability.'
'Humanly impossible for the switches to turn from on to off at rapid succession within one second'
The preliminary report on the Air India plane accident highlights potential confusion among pilots regarding fuel switches, which regulate fuel flow to the engines. The report suggests the switches were cut off and then switched on again shortly before the crash, raising questions about pilot actions and procedures.
Pilot groups have accused the AAIB of portraying the pilots as responsible for the incident, with vague and selective presentation of cockpit conversations.
A week after the devastating Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad claimed 270 lives, investigators on Thursday continued to sift for clues to ascertain the cause, while the government said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau will decide where to decode the black box of the ill-fated Dreamliner.
For children of Meghaninagar in Ahmedabad, spotting an aircraft swooshing by above their homes used to be a fun activity, but the deadly crash of an Air India flight in their locality has robbed them of this simple joy.
A week after the devastating Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad claimed 270 lives, the debris, including the ill-fated aircraft's tail fin, is still lying at the site as investigators looked for clues to establish the exact cause behind the accident, said officials on Thursday.
The process of identification of victims by matching the DNA samples is currently underway, and the bodies will be handed over to their relatives once the process is complete.
'When there are glaring errors in the report, how can you trust anything in it?'
'... when the process isn't transparent, people will naturally raise questions. 'The AAIB's own press release says they had the black boxes by June 16.' 'Why wasn't decoding initiated until the 24th? What were they waiting for?'
Rajesh Patel, 57, said he collected nearly 70 tolas of gold ornaments, which would be priceless for the victims' kin, Rs 50,000 and a few US dollars from the scene of the deadly aviation tragedy and handed them over to the police.
