Serious aeroplane crash

[Mups]

I think there's a seperate cockpit voice recorder. Ashy seems to follow a lot of this sort of thing so he'll know.

Sorry,  I only know what I read,  and one of the reports said there two black boxes on this plane.   
That's all I know about it.

[klondike]

Maybe one is the voice recorder and thr other the avionics recorder. Despite the name it it or they are painted orange.

[Diasi]

There are the usual theories from airline pilots on YouTube but what I regard as the most logical theory is that the co-pilot retracted the flaps instead of retracting the undercarriage.

In the video the aircraft was at around 600 ft & the undercarriage should have been fully retracted by 500ft but it hadn't even started to retract.

The loss of lift & the drag of the undercarriage would virtually bring any aircraft down at that point in the take-off.

Both pilots would have been aware of this issue by the noise of the cockpit warning screamer but they didn't have the time or enough height to rectify it.

The investigation will reveal which airline pilot's theory is the correct one.

[Michael Rolls]

ONE of the flight recorders.   I don't know how many more there are?

Usually two. One measures the gen from the various instruments on a time line so you can identify when a particular fault occurred, The other as a voice recorder for the flight deck

[Scrumpy]

There are the usual theories from airline pilots on YouTube but what I regard as the most logical theory is that the co-pilot retracted the flaps instead of retracting the undercarriage.

In the video the aircraft was at around 600 ft & the undercarriage should have been fully retracted by 500ft but it hadn't even started to retract.

The loss of lift & the drag of the undercarriage would virtually bring any aircraft down at that point in the take-off.

Both pilots would have been aware of this issue by the noise of the cockpit warning screamer but they didn't have the time or enough height to rectify it.

The investigation will reveal which airline pilot's theory is the correct one.

I find the above really interesting and I understood what was being said...

[Alex]

Me too. Thanks for that possible explanation Phil 

[Ashy]

Yes there should be two data recorders which can withstand many types of impact/fire/flood. There should also be a cockpit voice recorder, but these apparently only record for two hours n(then overwrite) and are often no use, in addition air traffic control is recorded, but of course only records messages received by the control. 

Although the controls for flaps and landing gear are quite different and separate, Diasi's explanation fits the known facts. (We have to see what the investigations reveal.)

The British Air Accident Investigation Board team is in India to observe and advise, but the investigation is under the control of India. Other representation will be made by the engine manufacturers and Boeings.

[klondike]

This new idea about the possible cause sounds convincing to me and even shows visual and audible evidence that it wasn't pilot error.

[Alex]

This new idea about the possible cause sounds convincing to me and even shows visual and audible evidence that it wasn't pilot error.


Really good clip

[Michael Rolls]

Listening to that clip does seem to indicate dual engine failure, which is normally regarded as very, very unlikely. Fuel contamination?

[Scrumpy]

All very strange... 

[klondike]

It was the first time I'd seen anything about the crash as I don't watch TV and didn't seek it out. It certainly looked especially on the grainy initial version of the video that the aircraft was just making an obviously unsuccessful attempt to glide unpowered with no sign of damage. Had it not been a heavily built up area there may even have been a successful landing.

Horrible accident. Let's hope they can pin down the exact cause and ensure it either can't happen again or is at least very much less likely. That somebody walked away from it shows how close those pilots came to pulling off a miracle.

[Ashy]

It sure looks like, either sabotage or a maintenance failure. Something like a fuel tap left in the wrong position, or pump blocked or missing, engines burn the fuel in the lines and then flame out...

[klondike]

engines burn the fuel in the lines and then flame out...

I'm guessing but they spend a fair while burning fuel on the taxiways and the like before it ever comes to starting the takeoff which must burn fuel at a prodigious rate so I'd guess those fuel lines would have run out well before even if the engines could get any at all with closed fuel taps.

The investigators will find the answer I'm sure although there will be plenty trying to outguess them before they announce their findings. I'd guess they already have a damned good idea but they always make sure before any announcements.

[Ashy]

I think we are bound to speculate, at least a bit. It is all made so unlikely by triplicating systems with backup after backup, and this is the first total loss of a Boeing 787. From the film by Captain Steeeve where you can hear the ram-air turbine running, the jets were silent when you'd expect them to be blasting our ears off.