Air India Crash Probe Focuses on Suspected Dual Engine Failure in Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Today’s investigation into the June 12 Ahmedabad Air India crash zeroes in on technical faults, as simulation tests and emergency system activation suggest possible dual engine failure

More than two weeks after the tragic crash of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, which claimed 241 lives out of the 242 on board, investigators are intensifying their focus on a possible dual engine failure as a leading cause behind the fatal incident. The aircraft, equipped with two General Electric engines, struggled to gain altitude after takeoff and crashed moments later, prompting renewed scrutiny of its technical systems and onboard power failures.

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Simulation Suggests Technical Malfunction Over Pilot Error

In an attempt to recreate the doomed flight’s conditions, Air India pilots conducted a simulation using the same flight parameters — including extended landing gear and retracted wing flaps — and found that these alone would not have caused the crash. According to sources familiar with the investigation, this strongly suggests that a deeper technical malfunction, potentially involving engine or hydraulic failure, may have compromised the aircraft’s ability to stay airborne.

While the simulation was carried out independently of the official Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) probe, its findings are being considered significant. One individual familiar with the effort noted that the scenario reinforced existing suspicions about catastrophic engine failure or a complete loss of power.

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Signs Point to Sudden Power Loss

Key evidence includes the activation of the aircraft’s emergency power turbine (RAT) seconds before impact. The RAT, or Ram Air Turbine, is designed to deploy during complete electrical failure and can provide minimal emergency power, though it cannot keep the aircraft aloft. Its activation suggests a possible electrical systems collapse, likely linked to engine malfunction or FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) system failure, which manages and monitors engine performance.

Video footage reviewed by experts showed the aircraft failing to climb adequately and then plunging back to earth, followed by an explosion. Analysts observed that while the wing flaps and slats — essential for generating lift during takeoff — were correctly extended, the landing gear doors had not opened, hinting at possible hydraulic failure in tandem with electrical issues.

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Flight Data Recorders Under Review

Both the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) have been recovered and their data extracted. Investigators are currently analyzing these recordings, which are expected to provide crucial insights into cockpit conversations and aircraft system statuses in the final moments before the crash.

Despite speculation about the engines’ simultaneous failure, no definitive cause has yet been identified. Teams from Boeing, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and General Electric are assisting on the ground, but all parties have declined to comment during the active investigation.

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Aviation’s Deadliest Incident in Recent Indian History

The crash on June 12 ranks as the deadliest civil aviation disaster in India in decades, and marks the first-ever fatal loss of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in active service. The pilots had issued a Mayday call just 15 seconds before impact, according to sources, leaving virtually no time for corrective action.

While officials have not yet announced when they will release a comprehensive report or preliminary findings, the current trajectory of the probe underscores the likelihood that a mechanical failure, rather than pilot error, was the decisive factor.