Investigations into what happened continue

The last words of the pilot who flew fatal Air India flight that crashed last week have been revealed. The Gatwick bound flight crashed last Thursday, killing all but one on board.

Flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident not long after take off. It was carrying 242 passengers in total, 53 of which were British nationals. So far, only one survivor has been confirmed. Investigations continue into what may have caused the plane to come down.

As part of ongoing investigations, the plane’s black boxes are being analysed. A black box records flight data, and includes a cockpit voice recorder for pilot exchanges and cockpit sounds. It will also pick up engine sounds. Today (Monday 16th) it’s been reported the cockpit recordings have been found.

viaBasit Zargar/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

It was previously reported the pilot made a mayday call as the jet was about to crash. He is reported to have mentioned “engine failure”. Air Traffic Control did not have time to respond before it was too late. Now, all of the Air India pilot’s last words have been reported on.

“Thrust not achieved… falling… Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!” the pilot said just moments before impact. “Thrust not achieved” means the pilot was trying to lift the plane, but couldn’t get enough force to do so.

Air India and the investigators are looking into several different aspects of the crash, to try and establish what happened. This includes issues linked to its engine thrust, flaps, and why the landing gear remained open as the plane took off and then came down. An expert flagged the landing gear as a sign something was “untoward” during the fatal crash.

The cause of the crash remains unclear. However, because the pilot made a mayday call ahead of impact, it suggests they did know something was wrong.