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India's aviation authorities have initiated an extensive investigation following the crash of Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, resulting in at least 270 fatalities. This incident has prompted a comprehensive safety review of the country's Dreamliner fleet and scrutiny of Air India's operational protocols.
Reports from Indian media indicate that the flight crew's final MAYDAY call to air traffic control lasted five seconds. The message—“MAYDAY… MAYDAY… MAYDAY… NO POWER… NO THRUST… GOING DOWN…”—suggests a catastrophic power and thrust loss shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad. Contact with the aircraft was lost immediately after this call.
In response, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has formed a high-level panel to investigate the crash's cause. The panel will also evaluate current Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), maintenance practices, and regulatory conditions. Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced that inspections of Boeing 787 aircraft in India have commenced. “We have given the order to do the extended surveillance of the 787 planes. There are 34 in our Indian fleet,” he stated. “Eight have already been inspected, and with immediate urgency, all of them are going to be done.”
