BCAS Asks Air India To Share Details of Technical Issues, Maintenance History of AI-171 Including Third Party Firms

New Delhi: The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has asked Air India to share the details of the technical issues and maintenance history of the AI-171 plane – a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner – that crashed with 242 passengers onboard in Ahmedabad on June 12.

BCAS has inquired Air India to share details of its aircraft maintenance partners including third party ones. The aviation security watchdog has also demanded the flight history of AI-171 aircraft that was involved in the deadly crash.

Out of the 242 passengers, 241 have been confirmed dead. The scale of devastation of Air India plane crash was so huge that the aircraft turned into a ball of fire the moment it crashed into the building of a doctor's hostel. Initially it was being assumed that there would be no survivors, however, later a miracle turned out and a British national who was seated on 11A survived the tragic crash. He was seen walking and rushed to a nearby hospital after locals noticed him.

A video has surfaced on Thursday showing the 53 seconds of terror when AI-171 took off from the Ahmedabad airport, failed to take the lift and crashed within seconds in a residential area, causing a huge explosion. 

Earlier today, the Tata Group Head Natarajan Chandrasekaran in a letter to his colleagues said, “What occurred yesterday was inexplicable, and we are in shock and mourning. To lose a single person we know is a tragedy, but for so many deaths to occur at once is incomprehensible. This is one of the darkest days in the Tata Group's history. Words are no consolation right now, but my thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the people who died and were injured in the crash. We are here for them... You know that in the past 24 hours, investigative teams from India, UK, and the US have arrived in Ahmedabad to investigate the crash. They have our full cooperation, and we will be completely transparent about the findings."

Chandrasekaran further said, “We owe it to the families and loved ones, to our pilots and crew, and to you... Once we have verified facts, we will be transparent in our communication about how this tragedy took place. As a Group trusted by so many, when we took over Air India, ensuring the safety of its passengers was our first and foremost priority. There was no compromising on it.”