Aviation investigators have identified critical evidence suggesting a complete power failure occurred aboard a London-bound passenger aircraft that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport Thursday morning.
Analysis of video footage from the aircraft’s final moments has revealed the distinctive sound signature of an emergency Ram Air Turbine (RAT) system activation, according to preliminary findings.
The RAT, a small emergency propeller that automatically deploys beneath an aircraft during total electrical failure, was audibly spinning during the plane’s descent
The discovery of the RAT deployment provides crucial evidence of a catastrophic power failure aboard the London-bound flight, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport on Thursday morning.
Video footage captured during the aircraft’s final moments reveals a distinctive high-pitched whine consistent with an activated RAT system.
The RAT (Ram Air Turbine), a small propeller that deploys beneath the aircraft to provide emergency electrical power when engine power is lost. It could be heard spinning in this filtered sound clip taken from one of the crash video’s
Air India’s 787 RAT deployment and audio, strongly suggests the aircraft experienced an engine failure or electrical power loss.
The sole survivor, a 40-year-old male passenger, reportedly escaped the burning wreckage by jumping through an emergency window. Additional casualties occurred among residents of the student hostel where the aircraft crashed.
Aviation investigators noted several critical factors that point to multiple system failures. Video evidence shows the aircraft’s landing gear remained extended throughout the brief flight, contrary to standard procedure where gear is retracted within seconds of takeoff.
The landing gear’s failure to retract suggests hydraulic system problems that may have been compounded by the power loss.
“The landing gear failure to retract indicates significant hydraulic system problems that likely compounded the aircraft’s power loss,” investigators noted in preliminary findings.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying over 100,000 litres of fuel and weighing more than 200 tonnes, crashed into accommodation facilities for hospital doctors approximately 1.4 kilometers southwest of Ahmedabad Airport’s runway shortly after takeoff.
The aircraft reached a maximum altitude of 630 feet and a ground speed of 175 knots (324 km/h) before it began descending.
It was observed to have a nose-up pitch angle of about 41 degrees with wings level when it struck a nearby building, subsequently bursting into flames.
The Boeng 787-8 Dreamliner departed from Ahmedabad International Airport, officially known as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (IATA: AMD, ICAO: VAAH).
The airport has a single runway that is 3,500 meters (11,483 feet) long. A fully loaded Boeing 787 typically requires between 5,000 and 9,000 feet for takeoff.
According to reports, the aircraft used nearly the entire length of the runway to become airborne. It was a hot day, with temperatures likely around 97°F.
The high temperatures meant the airliner needed a high flap setting—15 degrees or more—to generate enough lift for takeoff. However, the flaps and leading-edge slats were not visibly extended in the videos.
Additionally, the aircraft’s landing gear would normally have been retracted shortly after takeoff. It was also noted that the aircrafts engines may have still be producing full power before leaving the ground evident from the dust, debris and engine exhaust blown backwards along the runway edges.
