Content Tagged “aviation”
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Boeing 787 Sleepy …
Well, I’ve never seen anything like that before …
A Lufthansa Boeing 787-9, registration D-ABPQ performing flight LH-450 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Los Angeles,CA (USA), was preparing for boarding of passengers at the gate, when all gear doors opened and the nose gear retracted. The aircraft fell onto its nose. A number of crew on board received injuries.
Apparently, this Dreamliner is brand new. The aircraft was delivered to Lufthansa just in January.
D-ABPQ after the accident (photo via The Aviation Herald)
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Air India Pilot Reportedly Drunk Before Flight
After the devastating Air India Flight 171 crash last year, Air India is in the news again:
→ Reuters: Canada asks Air India to probe incident of pilot removed from plane under influence of alcohol, source says
Canada’s transport regulator has asked Air India to investigate an incident of a pilot who was removed from a plane before it was due to take off and found to be under the influence of alcohol, a person familiar with the matter said. Two breathalyser tests conducted by Canadian police at Vancouver International Airport showed the pilot was unfit for duty, the person said on Friday. The incident was labelled as a “serious matter” by Transport Canada in a letter to Air India and authorities are likely to pursue enforcement action, the person added.
In a statement, Air India said the flight from Vancouver to Delhi on December 23 experienced a last-minute delay due to the incident, adding that an alternate pilot was brought in to operate the flight. The airline said Canadian authorities raised concerns about the pilot’s fitness for duty but did not provide details.
→ NDTV: Air India Pilot Detained In Vancouver Over Alcohol Smell, Flight Delayed
According to reports, a staff member at the Vancouver airport’s duty-free store had alerted the Canadian authorities after he either saw the pilot drinking alcohol or noticed the smell while he was purchasing it. The authorities subjected the pilot to a breath analyser test - which he failed, and he was subsequently detained, the reports added.
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Air India Flight 171
The accident aircraft, VT-ANB, in 2024 (Photo: RyanZ225 PC / CC-BY-SA 4.0)It seems that whatever happened to Air India Flight 171 to make it crash right after takeoff is still a mystery.
An Air India Boeing 787-8, registration VT-ANB performing flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad (India) to London Gatwick,EN (UK) with 230 passengers and 12 crew, was departing Ahmedabad's runway 23 at 13:38L (08:08Z), when the crew declared Mayday "No Thrust, not taking lift" and the aircraft crashed into the "BJ Medical College" in Meghaninagar surbub about 0.9nm past the runway end, first impact at position N23.056 E72.612 with wreckage spread over 200 meters. Rescue services are at the scene. There have been fatalities and injuries on the ground, local police believed there was no survivor on board of the aircraft, however, later confirmed one survivor. The airline confirmed 241 people on board died in the crash, there was only one survivor. There are 39 fatalities on the ground confirmed in addition to many injuries on the ground. Ground witnesses reported the aircraft impacted hostel buildings within a states run college for doctors, one student was able to jump out of the hotel and survived with injuries. About 50-60 students have been injured.
According to ADS-B the aircraft had entered runway 23 from the apron, which without backtracking would leave a takeoff distance available of 1900 meters/6300 feet. Four minutes later - without further position data being received, so unclear from the ADS-B whether the aircraft backtracked or not, on Jun 15th 2025 it was clarified that the aircraft had backtracked and used the full length of the runway - the aircraft took off. In the last ADS-B position the aircraft had climbed to about 625 feet MSL according to Standard Pressure (compensated for ambient pressure that would be about about 264 feet MSL or 75 feet AGL) at 174 knots over ground.
On Jun 14th 2025 the survivor reported, that moments after becoming airborne the lights in the aircraft began to flicker and the aircraft appeared to be "stuck in the air". The lights began flickering green and white, then the aircraft slammed into a building. He saw an opening in front of him, unbelted himself and used his feet to push through the opening. Doctors treating the survivor stated, that he was disorientated and suffered multiple injuries all over his body, he is out of danger however.
On Jun 17th 2025 an official, a former Air India Captain trained by the Captain of the accident flight, stated, that the CVR has been successfully read out, the voices on the CVR are very clear. It is becoming gradually clear from the newly emerging evidence that there was probably zero negligence in the cockpit, the crew did not give up until the very last moment. The probability of a technical cause is high. A preliminary report by India's AAIB can be expected in a few days.
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