Air India Crash: 7 Shocking Clues in Dreamliner Report That Reveal a Catastrophic Failure

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Air India Crash: 7 Shocking Clues in Dreamliner Report That Reveal a Catastrophic Failure

The one-month anniversary of the Air India Flight 171 tragedy casts a long shadow, marked by the release of the preliminary crash report. This document offers not just facts, but chilling fragments of a catastrophic sequence that unfolded in mere seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad. The most telling detail? The immediate deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) – a silent sentinel of last resort. 

The RAT: An Unsung Hero Deployed Too Soon 

Imagine a tiny, hidden windmill tucked inside an aircraft’s belly or wing. That’s the RAT. It’s not a primary power source; it’s the final lifeline. When all main electrical power fails – typically due to dual engine failure or catastrophic electrical faults – the RAT automatically springs into the airstream. Spinning furiously, it generates just enough hydraulic pressure or electricity to keep the absolute essentials alive: 

• Critical flight controls (ailerons, rudder, elevators) so pilots can attempt to steer. 

• Vital cockpit instruments for basic navigation and attitude. 

• Emergency communication systems to call for help. 

As Collins Aerospace, a leading RAT manufacturer, explains, it’s the “heart of an aircraft’s emergency power system,” designed for instant, autonomous deployment in true emergencies. These devices have saved over 2,400 lives in the past 50 years by providing that crucial window for controlled gliding or emergency landing. 

Why the Immediate RAT Deployment is So Alarming 

The CCTV evidence confirming the RAT deployed seconds after lift-off is the report’s most disturbing revelation. Here’s why: 

• Indicates Catastrophic Failure: RATs activate ONLY after a near-total loss of main power. Its immediate deployment screams that the Dreamliner suffered a sudden, devastating failure – likely involving both engines, the electrical systems, or both – during the most vulnerable phase of flight: the initial climb. 

• The Margin Vanishes: The RAT provides minimal power – enough for control, not for climbing or sustaining flight. A deployment at 10,000 feet gives pilots time and altitude to troubleshoot or glide. A deployment mere seconds off the runway offers almost zero margin for recovery. The aircraft was critically wounded at its most perilous moment. 

• Questions It Raises: What caused such an abrupt and total power failure so early in the flight? Was it a cascading mechanical failure? A sudden electrical fire? Or something related to the baffling fuel switch sequence? 

The Fuel Switch Enigma and a Desperate Mayday 

Adding to the chilling timeline, the report details another critical finding: the aircraft’s engine fuel cutoff switches were moved from “CUTOFF” to “RUN” within seconds of each other just before impact. Investigators haven’t yet linked this directly to the cause, but it’s a central focus. Was this: 

• A frantic, last-ditch effort by the crew to restart engines after a sudden failure? 

• An inadvertent error during overwhelming chaos? 

• Or a symptom of an underlying system malfunction causing unintended shutdowns? 

We hear the human toll in the cockpit voice recorder: immediately after the switch movements, a pilot broadcasts the desperate, triple “Mayday.” Silence followed. There was no time for ATC to respond before the aircraft plummeted, erupting in a fireball. 

The Investigation Path Forward 

The AAIB’s work is far from over. Key questions dominate the next phase: 

• The Root of the Power Loss: Was it engine failure (both simultaneously?), a massive electrical system breakdown, fuel starvation, or a complex interaction? 

• The Fuel Switch Sequence: What prompted the rapid shutdown and attempted restart? Human action or system command? 

• Human Factors: What was the crew’s awareness and response time in those chaotic seconds? 

• System Interactions: Could a design flaw or unforeseen interaction between systems have contributed? 

A Solemn Milestone and a Quest for Answers 

This tragedy marks the first total loss (“hull loss”) of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a symbol of modern aviation’s efficiency and range. The preliminary report strips away speculation, replacing it with stark, technical evidence: an immediate, catastrophic power loss signaled by the RAT, frantic actions in the cockpit, and a devastating outcome. 

The RAT, a proven lifesaver in countless emergencies, deployed faithfully. Its early activation stands as a grim testament to the overwhelming nature of the failure that struck AI-171. As investigators meticulously dissect the flight data, cockpit recordings, and wreckage, the world waits not just for technical answers, but for understanding how this routine departure became a catastrophic loss, forever altering hundreds of lives and shaking the aviation community. The pursuit of those answers is the most crucial tribute to the 261 lives lost.