Cliff Notes – Indian airlines are pretty poor in general
- The Air India plane crash killed 229 passengers and crew, with only one survivor, and has raised numerous questions, compounded by CCTV footage showing the aircraft struggling immediately after take-off.
- The ongoing investigation involves retrieving crucial black boxes, with an emphasis on understanding why the landing gear remained deployed and examining potential anomalies in the flight’s configurations.
- Analysts expect the investigation could take a significant amount of time, as it requires thorough analysis and the correlation of various data points to ascertain the cause of the crash.
How are investigators looking into the Air India crash – and how long could they take?
The devastating Air India plane crash which killed 229 passengers and 12 crew has been labelled a “mystery” by experts.
The Gatwick-bound flight, which was carrying 53 Britons, came down just after take-off from Ahmedabad airport in western India on Thursday 12 June, leaving only one survivor and also killing people on the ground.
CCTV footage was captured of the crash, but experts say it has led to more questions than answers.
An ongoing investigation will be reviewing the footage and other key evidence left in the crash’s wake.
But what are investigators looking at – and how long could it take?
What is unusual about the crash?
Air India Flight 171 took off from Ahmedabad Airport at 1.38pm local time on Thursday 12 June, and was only in the air for around half a minute.
CCTV footage shows the plane struggling to gain altitude and it quickly begins to descend towards buildings, with its wheels still out and its nose raised.