How Old Was Air India Plane AI-171 Boeing 787-8 That Crashed With 242 Passengers Onboard In Ahmedabad?

Ahmedabad: It was meant to be a routine journey for Air India's AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on Thursday. However, barely 30 seconds after takeoff, the aircraft crashed, killing 241 out of the total 242 passengers who were onboard. As the nation mourns its worst aviation disaster, and the probing agencies are left wondering what went wrong.

The Air India plane involved in the tragic crash was not an old, rusted aircraft that had passed its prime. One of Boeing's most advanced jets, the Dreamliner, was delivered to Air India in 2014. Though ordered in 2005 and delivered in 2010, the aircraft was just over ten years old and well within its estimated service life.

In reality, it had an active track record of more than 39,450 flying hours spread throughout 7,400 cycles. Far from being obsolete, it was one of Air India's showpiece long-distance aircraft. 

An Active Jet With No Warning Signs

The Dreamliner had flown in from Paris hours before the tragedy and arrived in Delhi at 1:34 AM on Thursday. That same morning, it flew from Delhi to Ahmedabad for a little more than an hour journey.

Later, as it lined up for the international ride to London, everything went normal starting from the boarding of the passengers and till few seconds into the flight taking off.

A Takeoff That Never Took Off

The flight took off at its scheduled time but crashed into a building after it failed to gain thrust and lift. Below is an account of what reportedly transpired in just 30 when the plane took of and crashed.   

• At 14 seconds: No inclination. The aircraft showed no signs of climbing.
• At 15 seconds: The nose dipped.
• At 25 seconds: Pilots struggled to gain lift.
• At 30 seconds: The plane crashed.

The plane had barely attained 652 feet in altitude, despite Ahmedabad airport itself sitting at 200 feet above sea level, before it crashed into a medical hostel building.

What we know about AI-171 engines?

AI-171 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was equipped with GEnx-1B67 engines, among the best in the world. Known for being fuel-efficient and dependable, these engines power thousands of aircraft globally.

In Air India plane crash incident, as reported so far, there were no prior issues that were flagged or warnings.

The Questions Arise?  

With the aircraft’s age and engines seemingly ruled out, investigators are now focused on far more troubling possibilities:

• Could it have been a double engine failure? And if so, how did both engines go silent within seconds?
• Was there a maintenance lapse?
• A critical technical failure?
• Or did something go wrong in the cockpit, was it human error?

The final answers will only come after a thorough probe that has already been initiated by the aviation authorities. 

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