Fatal error by the co-pilot of Air India may have caused the crash that killed 241 passengers.
An aviation expert has suggested a fatal error by the co-pilot of Air India Flight AI171 may have caused the crash that killed 241 passengers and dozens on the ground. Captain Steve Scheibner, a former American Airlines pilot, claimed the co-pilot may have mistakenly raised the flaps instead of retracting the landing gear shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on June 12. The London Gatwick-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed within minutes of departure.
“Here’s what I think happened, again folks this is just my opinion,” Scheibner said. “I think the pilot flying said to the co-pilot ‘gear up’ at the appropriate time. I think the co-pilot grabbed the flap handle and raised the flaps, instead of the gear.”
Scheibner pointed to video footage suggesting the aircraft’s wings did not bend upward as expected during takeoff. Investigators have begun analyzing the black box and are interviewing recent crew members for further clues.