A few days ago, we saw the tragic crash of an Air India Dreamliner, as the plane struggled to gain altitude after takeoff. As of now, there are a lot more questions than answers, and it’s too soon to know what caused this. However, contextually we’re starting to get more clues as to what may have happened, and it points to a nightmare scenario (not that there’s any sort of crash of this magnitude that isn’t horrifying).
In this post:
Air India Boeing 787 lost power, causing RAT deployment
In a post yesterday, I shared a video by popular YouTuber Captain Steeeve (who is a Boeing 777 captain), analyzing what we know about the accident based on the evidence so far. I shared the video because it provided a useful explanation of the concept of lift vs. thrust on a wide body jet.
However, as I mentioned at the time, I think he was drawing too many conclusions with the scenarios he shared. For example, he suggested that one of the pilots may have accidentally retracted the flaps rather than the landing gear. So there’s now an interesting update, as he has already changed his theory within 24 hours, completely eliminating the previous scenario. This also seems more grounded in what we actually know, vs. speculating.
Within hours of the crash, we saw a version of the below video, showing the doomed Dreamliner taking off, and eventually crashing into the ground. What has changed is that within the past 24 hours, a higher definition version of this video has been released, since the first version was basically a video of the video. This version has much better picture and sound quality.
Based on this video, it seems certain that the ram air turbine (RAT) was deployed after takeoff. For context, below is a demonstrator video of a RAT on this exact type of aircraft, demonstrating both how it looks and sounds.
What’s the purpose of the RAT? It’s a small propellor that deploys underneath the fuselage, to provide emergency electrical power when power is lost. Obviously if you’re at a high altitude, this can save an aircraft, but when you’re just hundreds of feet off the ground, that won’t help you all that much.
In an updated video, Captain Steeeve provides a new analysis based on that detail. To be clear, he doesn’t speculate as to what caused the accident, but rather confirms that it’s certain that the RAT was deployed, and he bases this on three details:
- We can see the RAT — it’s the small black thing underneath the fuselage, and you can also see the RAT “door” open
- We can hear the RAT — it sounds like a propellor, rather than your typical 787 engines
- The sole survivor of the crash explained the lights flickered after takeoff, which is consistent with a RAT deployment
As Captain Steeeve explains, the RAT deploys when an aircraft has an electrical failure, a hydraulic failure, or a dual engine failure.
A separate but unrelated detail that’s pointed out is that the plane took off on a roughly 11,500-foot runway, and the plane seemingly used almost the entire runway. While it was a hot day and the plane had close to a full load, it’s not normal for a 787 to use that much runway.
The Aviation Herald also reports that preliminary findings by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) suggest that a bird strike has been ruled out (as no bird carcasses were found), and that aircraft loading was routine, so a load problem is unlikely.
This scenario is any pilot’s worst nightmare
It goes without saying that any sort of fatal aviation accident is terrible. But this kind of an accident is a special kind of terrible. To think that these pilots were accelerating down the runway expecting to climb up to their cruising altitude, only to suddenly no longer be able to climb.
This also happened in such a short timeframe. Presumably they didn’t notice any issues before reaching their “V1” speed on the takeoff roll, or else they would’ve rejected the takeoff. So somewhere in the seconds between that and when the plane started sinking, something went very wrong.
We’ll have to wait for the results of the investigation to determine why the RAT deployed, and why the plane suddenly lost power. A dual engine failure on takeoff without a bird strike is exceptionally rare.
I’m sure black box details will be released soon, which will hopefully provide more clues about what happened. I would imagine both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder will be very revealing.
Bottom line
Higher quality video footage has been released of the Air India Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad, and it makes it pretty clear that the ram air turbine (RAT) deployed shortly before the crash. You can see it, you can hear it, and it’s consistent with the account of the sole survivor.
The big question is why the 787 would lose power within moments of becoming airborne, since that’s not something that’s ever supposed to happen, especially with no signs of a bird strike…
What do you make of this Air India Boeing 787 RAT discovery?
Question to the informed: One of the theory for dual engine failure is contaminated fuel. But, if that was the case, wouldn’t other flights (domestic or international) also suffer/struggle? Also, this flight took off around ~2pm. Many flights would have departed before this one.
No one has mentioned that the rat can be deployed by a pilot pressing and holding the rat switch.
Man this looks pretty bad if confirm by the black boxes i have never seen a twin engine plane had both engines fail in takeoff.
Murphy said it's going to happen.
After the 2018 Lion Air crash, some US pilots were quick to question the Indonesian crew's skills, hinting a US crew would've avoided it. A hint of arrogance? But this was pre-MCAS details. Once the Ethiopian crash revealed MCAS's uncommanded nose-down, the focus shifted. As Capt Sully said, even experienced pilots would've struggled with an unknown system. Best to temper those initial judgments on pilot actions.
Captain Steeeve is a hack, speculating on crashes to profit off of clicks.
Are you new to YouTube or TikTok?
LOL... !
Something that most people don’t talk about is the position of the landing gear.
Yes it was down, but look at the angle of the gear just before the crash.
On a normal configuration the Dreamliner’s gear is tilting up (back wheels of the main landing gear touch the ground first). Only when the pilot selects gear up the gear’s wheels tilt down before being retracted. In the video from the roof top...
Something that most people don’t talk about is the position of the landing gear.
Yes it was down, but look at the angle of the gear just before the crash.
On a normal configuration the Dreamliner’s gear is tilting up (back wheels of the main landing gear touch the ground first). Only when the pilot selects gear up the gear’s wheels tilt down before being retracted. In the video from the roof top you can clearly see the wheels beeing parallel to the ground while the aircraft is pitched up. That means that either the pilot selected gear up and nothing happened but the tilting of the wheels or a complete hydraulic failure and the motor keeping the wheels to tilt up failed.
That simply confirms even further (and before we knew about the RAT) that this is a power issue
Old news. Juan Browne (Blancolirio) was discussing this two days ago, Steeve yesterday afternoon, etc.
I hear no difference in sounds. And are you saying that the AA flight landing lost power and causing the device to deploy?
Listen again. It's a very distinct sound, a whine and roar combination very different from a "normal" jet engine. High pitched.
Yup we all read the news Ben. Any pilots worst nightmare is likely working for AIR INDIA.
Hearing the RAT in the video vs hearing the engines is quite eerie. It seems they only shut down the airport for a few hours, were they able to quickly assess that fuel contamination was not an issue? If it wasn't a bird strike, nor a fuel quality issue, what could cause a dual engine failure given all the redundant systems onboard? The only thing I can think of that was somewhat similar was the...
Hearing the RAT in the video vs hearing the engines is quite eerie. It seems they only shut down the airport for a few hours, were they able to quickly assess that fuel contamination was not an issue? If it wasn't a bird strike, nor a fuel quality issue, what could cause a dual engine failure given all the redundant systems onboard? The only thing I can think of that was somewhat similar was the BA flight from China which had frozen fuel clogging to flow of fuel and they crash landed at LHR (obviously not an issue in 40 degree heat). This is such a baffling incident.
Presumably if a fuel contamination issue wouldn’t that have also affected other flights that day presuming the same fuel supplier (which I believe at most Indian airports is IndianOil)?
Since it's that time of the year again, I want to wish you, Ford, and your dad a Happy Father's Day. Thank you for sharing your family moments with us. I still remember your dad's first surprise birthday trip on an Emirates A380 a decade or so ago I think and even him getting a picture at the bar wearing the famous Emirates garb!
Oh FFS stop with the sucking up!
@Justin
What would I have to gain from sucking up especially to a blogger on the internet?! I don't look at it as sucking up. This is just my nature. I've been on this blog fore more than a decade, I always enjoy his content, including the stories he shares about his family.
If you're a father yourself, Happy Father's Day!
Justin, seek help.
normal people don't behave like you and it's the reason the people close to you treat you like they do.
Being human equals sucking up? You probably never operated a business or a website or did anything customer-facing. When day in and day out it's all transactional or non-interactive, someone being human can be very meaningful.
@ Mike O. -- You're very kind, thank you! And happy father's day to all the other dads! Have another fun trip with my dad coming up soon.
C%nt we all git along .... ?
....lol