Early investigations into the Air India plane crash, an inquiry that could take a year or more to complete, have revealed that the pilots deployed the Ram Air Turbine (RAT).

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Ahmedabad plane crash: The initial investigation into the cause of the Air India plane crash, which is said to be one of the world’s worst in aviation history, has offered early clues into what may have gone wrong. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing investigators, the aircraft’s emergency power system, known as Ram Air Turbine (RAT), was activated shortly before the crash. This raises serious questions about whether the engines were functioning properly during take-off.

Investigators near cause of AI 171 crash

Since the emergency power system was activated on Air India flight AI171, which claimed the lives of all but one passenger on board, it indicates either a loss of engine power or complete electrical failure.

The RAT is a small turbine that gets activated from the aircraft’s fuselage to generate emergency power in critical situations. It can either be automatically or manually deployed by the pilot to keep the aircraft functioning when both engines fail or hydraulic pressure drops, the outlet further reported.

It further said that the system can also be activated if the cockpit instruments lose power or the electric motor pumps malfunction.

‘Dual engine failure is rare’

WSJ also spoke to a US-based aerospace safety consultant, Anthony Brickhouse, to understand when a pilot deploys RAT and the causes when an engine fails. Brickhouse said that the pilots activate RAT if they think that both engines have failed, which he said could arise from a variety of factors, including bird strikes or problems with fuel. He, however, pointed out that in present times, when engines are more “efficient” and “reliable”, a dual engine failure is “rare”.

“In commercial aviation, a dual-engine failure is extremely rare. Our engines today are more efficient and reliable than ever,” WSJ quoted Brickhouse as saying.

Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, and GE Aerospace, the engine maker, have yet to release official statements regarding the same.

Investigation may take a year or more

The investigators said that although there is a breakthrough in the crash, the investigation is still underway. WSJ reported that the investigators have not confirmed what activated the emergency system – engine failure, hydraulic or other technical problems.

The aircraft’s wings and control surfaces were set up as they should be for takeoff, which supports the timeline that the crash happened very soon after departure.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation said the probe into the crash remains under investigation. Air-accident investigations typically can last a year or more due to a number of factors contributing to a crash, such as possible maintenance errors, crew missteps or design flaws.

Air India plane crash

Ahmedabad-London Air India flight crashed moments after take-off from Ahmedabad Airport’s runway 23 into BJ Medical College’s hostel. The flight reached an altitude of 625 feet when it started descending at a vertical speed of 475 feet per minute. The London-bound Dreamliner exhausted the entire 3.5-kilometre runway far more than the typical 2.5 to 3 kilometres needed for such aircraft before lifting off.

The pilot gave a Mayday call, citing “no thrust” and stating he was “unable to lift” the aircraft. However, air traffic control could not re-establish contact.

The flight, which was expected to land in London’s Gatwick Airport at 6:09 pm, stopped transmitting data after 50 seconds into the flight, according to Flightradar24 data.

242 passengers were on board the doomed aircraft, including former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani. The lone survivor, Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, who was sitting in seat 11A, said that everything happened very quickly. He further said that the engine started making a very loud noise thirty seconds after take-off. He exited from the emergency exit door that broke open after the flight crashed.