Air India plane crash that killed 260 ‘could be sabotage’ | World | News
As the probe into the tragic Air India crash that killed 260 people continues, investigators are now looking into whether the crash was caused by sabotage. All but one on board, including 52 Brits, died when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner slammed into a medical college after take-off on June 12. Another 19 were killed on the ground in Ahmedabad.
The Indian government has now revealed that air investigators are considering sabotage as a possible cause. “The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has begun a full investigation. It is being probed from all angles, including any possible sabotage,” said India’s Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol. Although there has previously been speculation of potential sabotage, this is the first time officials have formally acknowledged it as a possible cause of the crash.
Both engines appeared to have lost power, an incredibly rare occurrence that experts have described as a “one in a billion event”. The flight reached just 625 feet before crashing 33 seconds after takeoff.
Just after takeoff, the pilot of Air India 171, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 55, frantically radioed air traffic control, yelling: “No thrust… May Day… May Day”.
The AAIB is now looking into whether the loss of engine power was caused by a deliberate act of fuel contamination.
Mr Mohol said: “The CCTV footage is being reviewed and all angles are being assessed… several agencies are working on it.
“Once the report comes, we will be able to ascertain if it was an engine problem or fuel supply issue or why both the engines had stopped functioning.
“There is a CVR (cockpit voice recorder) in the black box which has stored the conversation between the two pilots.
“It is too early to say anything but whatever it is, it will come out. The report will come in three months.”
The plane’s black boxes were recovered from the crash site and are now being analysed in India. This data source includes a Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) which records altitude and speed, the CVR and background noise.
