More than two weeks after the tragic Air India crash that killed 241 of the 242 people on board, investigators are focusing on an alarming possibility: both engines of the Boeing 787 may have failed, leading to its catastrophic loss of control. While malpractice has not been ruled out, a technical snag appears to be the leading cause identified thus far.
The revelation comes after pilots from Air India recreated the doomed flight’s conditions in a simulator. They simulated settings such as the landing gear being down and wing flaps pulled in. According to Bloomberg, this recreation did not by itself lead to a crash, indicating that the incident likely involved deeper technical faults.
Flight simulators are powerful investigative tools. By using mathematical models to replicate how aircraft respond to controls, wind, and turbulence, simulators can recreate flight dynamics with high accuracy. In the AI171 case, the simulation aimed to probe whether pilot error or pre-existing technical issues could have caused the fatal June crash.
Investigators’ attention has zeroed in on engine systems after evidence showed that the emergency power unit switched on moments before the crash. Modern aircraft engines are regulated by Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) systems, which manage engine power digitally while keeping performance within safe parameters. If FADEC suffered a simultaneous fault across both engines, the pilots would have been left with no thrust, turning the aircraft into a powerless glider with little room for recovery.
This suspicion is further supported by footage reviewed by pilots, which showed delayed retraction of the wheels post-takeoff, suggesting hydraulic system irregularities. The deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) before impact confirmed that the aircraft experienced severe electrical failure. RATs are emergency turbines that extend from the aircraft to provide minimal backup power during electrical loss, but they cannot provide thrust or lift.
Tragically, the pilots of AI171 issued a Mayday distress call just seconds after takeoff. Within 15 seconds of the call, the aircraft crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad, leaving a scene of devastation and loss.
As the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) continues to analyse data from both flight recorders, it remains unclear why both engines would fail simultaneously – a rare occurrence in modern aviation. While pilot error, sabotage, or bird strikes cannot yet be dismissed, the prevailing hypothesis points towards a technical malfunction that crippled critical systems in unison.
This incident is set to have significant ramifications for fleet maintenance practices, regulatory scrutiny, and manufacturer accountability. In the coming weeks, the industry will await the AAIB’s formal findings to understand whether hidden vulnerabilities exist within engine control systems of Boeing’s widebody fleet.
Until then, the crash remains a stark reminder of the aviation sector’s delicate balance between technological sophistication and operational safety – and how the slightest failure in critical systems can have devastating human costs.
