AI Pilots Conduct Simulator Tests to Assess Boeing 787-8 Performance After Ahmedabad Crash

Senior Air India pilots recently conducted simulator tests to recreate challenging flight conditions. They simulated scenarios with increased weight and temperature, landing gear down, and retracted wing flaps at 50 feet. The tests showed that the Boeing 787-8 aircraft continued flying under these conditions, according to sources.

The simulator tests were independently carried out by Air India's Boeing 787 fleet trainers during a training session in Mumbai. This occurred shortly after the crash of an Air India Dreamliner in Ahmedabad. Air India clarified that the pilots conducted these tests on their own, without any involvement from the airline.

Simulator Tests and Crash Investigation

The crash of Air India flight AI 171 on June 12 was one of India's worst air disasters in decades. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was headed to London's Gatwick Airport but crashed into a medical hostel complex in Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff. Of the 242 people onboard, 241 died, with only one survivor. The total death toll reached 260, including casualties on the ground.

Following the tragedy, India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) launched a probe on June 13. A multidisciplinary team was formed, including representatives from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an air traffic control officer, and an aviation medicine specialist.

Understanding Flaps and Their Role

Flaps are movable panels along an aircraft's wings' trailing edge. They extend during takeoff and landing to increase the wing's surface area, providing additional lift crucial for low-speed flight. Pilots manually adjust flaps based on flight conditions, keeping them retracted during cruise flight.

Among various theories about the crash's cause was that the pilot flew with retracted flaps and gear down. During their training session, pilots simulated AI 171 flight conditions with higher weight and temperature while keeping landing gear down and retracting wing flaps at 50 feet altitude.

Ongoing Investigations

The government recently stated that data extraction from black boxes is underway. Analysis of the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder aims to reconstruct events leading to the crash in Ahmedabad on June 12.

The simulator tests aimed to understand if flying with retracted flaps and gear down could have contributed to the crash. Despite these adverse conditions, the aircraft continued flying in simulations.

Air India's independent simulator tests provide insights into potential causes of the tragic crash. As investigations continue, authorities hope to uncover more details about what led to this devastating incident.

With inputs from PTI