‘Multiple bird hits’ may have caused deadly Air India plane crash, says expert
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Both engines may have lost power before Air India crash
- A deadly Air India plane crash may have been caused by “multiple bird hits” leading to loss of power in both engines, former pilot Saurabh Bhatnagar says.
- The Boeing 787, headed for London, crashed shortly after takeoff in Gujarat, India. There were 242 people on board, including 53 Britons, and a police chief said there appeared to be no survivors.
- Mr Bhatnagar noted that the plane descended shortly before retracting the landing gear. Video footage indicates the plane "came down in a controlled fashion".
- Professor John McDermid of the University of York noted the timing of the incident suggests the issue happened "very suddenly" during a critical stage of flight.
- The crash will be investigated by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, with the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch likely to be involved due to the number of British nationals onboard.