AI-171 Crash: What Actually Happened That Day
The AI-171 crash has become a heartbreaking tragedy in India’s aviation history. The Air India Boeing 787-8 fell just minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad. All the people on board tragically died in the incident. The big question everyone is asking now is — How could this happen to a state-of-the-art aircraft with a veteran crew at the controls?
The Veteran Pilot Speaks: Unretracted Landing Gear Was a Red Flag
Captain Rakesh Rai, a veteran Air India pilot who flew the 787 Dreamliner for years, is the key voice shedding light on this tragedy. He explained in a NDTV interview that normally, the gear should be up once the aircraft climbs past 100 feet. But in this case, the gear remained down at 600 feet — a huge red flag.
Possible Reasons: Bird Strike, Engine Failure, or Human Error
Captain Rai described a few possibilities. There might have been a bird strike, although that’s largely been ruled out. An engine failure is another scenario — or a human oversight. “It’s conceivable the co-pilot raised the flaps instead of the gear, causing a dramatic drop in lift,” Rai explained.
The veteran also raised the rare, dramatic scenario of double-engine failure, although that’s extremely improbable. Whatever the cause, the pilots barely had 20 seconds to react. That’s not much time when you’re already battling a heavy aircraft close to the ground.
Training vs Reality: Why It Happens So Fast
Captain Rai made a powerful observation — pilots do extensive training in a simulator, but this kind of scenario — gear down, power failing — is tough to practice in real conditions. “In the simulator, we prepare for many emergencies, but double-engine failure with gear down immediately after takeoff is a very rare event — it’s hard to account for everything.”
The black box will hopefully reveal exactly what went wrong with AI-171. Until then, we’re left wondering how a routine flight turned into a tragedy. The main takeaway? Small things — a missed procedure or a split-second oversight — can bring a giant aircraft down.
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