Sabotage Angle Under Probe in Air India Plane Crash That Killed 274 in Ahmedabad: Report

New Delhi: A possible sabotage is one of the main angles being investigated in the Air India plane crash that killed 274 people in Ahmedabad earlier this month, said Murlidhar Mohol, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, as per multiple media reports. 

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is the official body responsible for probing air crashes in India, is currently carrying out a detailed investigation to find out what caused the tragic crash of Air India flight AI 171 on June 12. The probe is not limited to just technical failures but is also looking into every possible reason, including the possibility that someone may have intentionally tampered with the aircraft.

Minister Mohol said that CCTV footage from the airport and other locations is being closely examined, and several government agencies are working together to look into every aspect of the incident to ensure that no detail is missed. He said that officials are looking at all angles, including security breaches, technical issues, and even fuel problems.

The crash took place shortly after the London-bound Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport around 1:30 PM on June 12. The plane suddenly lost altitude and crashed into a residential area in Meghaninagar, near the BJ Medical College staff quarters, where it burst into flames, killing almost everyone on board and nine people on the ground.

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Out of the 242 passengers and crew members on board, only one person survived, making it one of the deadliest air disasters in India in recent years. The crash caused huge destruction in the residential colony where it fell, leading to the death of local residents and injuries to several others.

According to officials from Air Traffic Control, the pilot had made a ‘Mayday’ emergency call just moments after takeoff, which means the crew had realised there was something seriously wrong with the aircraft almost immediately after getting airborne.

Minister Mohol said the crash is being seen as a rare and highly unusual case because reports suggest that both engines of the plane failed at the same time, something that is extremely rare in modern commercial aircraft. He added that experts are studying the plane’s black box, which contains the Cockpit Voice Recorder and the Flight Data Recorder, and these devices will play a key role in finding out what exactly happened inside the cockpit and with the aircraft systems before the crash.

He also said that while it is too early to say exactly what went wrong, investigators are looking into all possible technical and mechanical causes, including engine malfunction, fuel system failure, and other critical systems. The final investigation report is expected to be submitted within three months, after which more clarity will emerge about what led to such a huge tragedy.