Analysis prepared by: Matthew Giannelis — Aviation Enthusiast and General Aviation Pilot
During the takeoff roll, the aircraft visually appeared to be misconfigured for a safe departure, as there were no visible indications that the trailing edge flaps were extended, significantly reducing lift at lower speeds and contributed to the unusually long takeoff roll observed.
Takeoff Roll:
On a hot day in India, aircraft performance is significantly affected due to high ambient temperatures and reduced air density.
Hot days require longer runway distance for a safe takeoff. In this case, the aircraft rotated unusually late, much further down the runway than normal, indicating it used almost the entire available length to achieve lift-off speed. (Vr)
Flap Configuration:
Observers noted that the trailing edge flaps did not appear to be deployed. Flaps increase lift at lower speeds and reduce takeoff roll distance. The absence of deployed flaps would have contributed to the excessive runway use and delayed rotation.
Initial Climb:
Upon rotation (liftoff), the engines appeared to be producing high thrust — evident from the dust and debris being blown backwards along the runway edges. This shows the pilots used maximum available power, likely aware of the marginal takeoff performance.
Airspeed Decay
On climb out the aircraft’s airspeed began to decay rather than increase. This suggests that thrust dropped sharply at the critical phase of flight — likely due to engine failure or flameout before 600 Feet AGL (above ground level)
Landing Gear Not Retracted:
Normally, the gear is retracted immediately after a positive rate of climb is established. The fact that the landing gear remained extended indicates the crew may have been unable to retract it due to hydraulic power loss — which would be consistent with both engines failing.
RAT Deployment:
Crash videos allow us to see and hear the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployed and spinning. The RAT automatically extends when the aircraft loses both main engine generators, providing emergency hydraulic and electrical power in the event of an engine failure.
Observation:
As the aircraft reached the apex of its climb, it began to lose altitude while the nose remained in a high pitch-up attitude.
The aircraft then continued to sink with a high nose-up angle, ultimately shortening the time and distance available before impact. When an aircraft loses power, the nose is lowered in order to maintain a safe flying speed to preserve lift, increase distance and reduce the decent rate caused by an aerodynamic stall.
Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner Crash Analysis
Aircraft Data – Boeing 787 – MSN 36279 VT-ANB ; Type, 787-8 ; First flight date, 14/12/2013
The aircraft reached a maximum altitude of 630 feet at and travelling at 175 knots “ground speed” (324 kilometers per hour (km/h) – when it began descending.
It was also observed with a pitch up angle of approximately 41 degrees and wings level when it struck a nearby building before busting into flames.
As of September 2024, the aircraft had logged 38,268 flight hours over 7,223 cycles, making it one of the oldest Dreamliners still in service with Air India.
