Thrust not achieved, falling, Mayday: Pilot's last message before Air India plane's fatal crash
PTC News Desk: "Thrust not achieved", "falling", "communication line during this transmission very weak", "Mayday" - these were the final words sent by the Air India pilot to Air Traffic Control (ATC) at the Ahmedabad airport minutes before London-bound plane crashed into a medical hostel shortly after taking off.
The nature of the messages sent by the Air India pilot to the ATC signified that something had gone wrong with the aircraft after Flight AI171 went down after it took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.37 pm on Thursday.
Ahmedabad police confirmed that this was pilot's last distressed call which reached ATC after which all the communication ceased. The top officials confirmed that the jet had exhausted the 3.5 km long runway at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport- usually a 2.5-3km is needed for a wide-bodied jet.
The Times of India quoted sources as saying that no initial warnings were flagged. " There were no requests for runway changes, thrust adjustments or flap reconfigurations. Weather was stable, visibility was clear. Temperature was high but within operational limits."
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which investigates aircraft accidents and incidents, recovered the Air India plane's black box 28 hours after the tragedy, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu said on Friday.
The orange-coloured device that was located near the tail of a plane will help investigate the crash.
- With inputs from agencies
