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Air India crash has highest number of British deaths in a flight disaster since 9/11 terror attacks
THE Air India crash has resulted in the highest number of British deaths in a flight disaster since the 9/11 terror attacks.
A total of 52 British citizens were last night missing, feared dead, after rescue teams recovered more than 200 bodies at the crash site.
The toll of 67 Brits killed in the 9/11 attacks in 2001 on New York’s World Trade Centre was higher.
The last major UK air disaster saw 47 people killed in January 1989 when a Boeing 737 attempting an emergency landing at East Midlands Airport crashed on an embankment of the M1 near Kegworth, Leics.
In August 1985, a British Airtours Boeing 737 bound for Corfu caught fire on the runway at Manchester Airport, killing 55 on board.
But the deadliest air crash in Britain remains the 1972 Staines Air Disaster, when a BEA flight crashed on take-off from Heathrow. All 118 people on board were killed.
And in 1988, the Pan Am Flight 103 Lockerbie terror attack killed 43 British citizens, including 11 on the ground in the Scottish border town.
Last night, a team of British air crash investigators was being rushed to the crash scene in Ahmedabad, India, as theories swirled about possible causes of the disaster.
They included pilot error, a bird or drone strike, or a freak change in wind direction causing a deadly double-engine stall.
Concerns over possible pilot error by experienced Captain Sumeet Sabharwal centred on video of the Dreamliner’s plunge.
It appeared to show the twin-engine jet’s wing flaps retracted — possibly too early — moments before the crash.
Pilots and experts said it is vital that the flaps are set to the correct position at take-off to maximise lift.
Wheels and the undercarriage are also supposed to be lifted quickly once the plane is airborne, to reduce drag.
But video footage of the crash jet shows its wheels were still down as it began descending.
A disastrous strike from a flock of birds is also possible, but not obvious from video footage.
Weather may also be a factor, with temperatures at the time of take-off close to 40C (104F). But reports suggested the air was relatively still and there were no signs of freak gusts, either from locals or on the video.
The only other possible cause would be a technical fault in one of the most modern and reliable aircraft flying today.
A man who claimed he was a passenger on the doomed plane on a previous flight hours earlier posted a video appearing to show the air conditioning, TV screens and lights not working on board.
Akash Vatsa posted on X that he noticed “unusual things” during its flight from Delhi to Ahmedabad on Thursday morning. In the footage, he can be heard saying: “The AC is not working at all. As usual, your TV screens are also not working, neither is the button to call the cabin crew. Nothing is working. Not even the light is working.”
Mr Vatsa said he originally filmed the clip to make a complaint to Air India, but shared it online following the disaster to highlight issues with the doomed plane.
Since its launch in 2011, the Boeing Dreamliner has had a near- faultless safety record and been involved in no fatal accidents. But teams of Boeing experts were being scrambled in the US last night in a bid to head off safety concerns — which have blighted the company’s image in recent years.
There are more than 1,100 787s in service, with most major international airlines prizing the model’s fuel efficiency and low noise levels.
Officials from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau were last night scouring the crash scene for the jet’s black boxes, which should provide vital data.
FOUR CRASH THEORIES
WING FLAPS IN WRONG POSITION
VIDEO evidence suggests the flaps were retracted and landing gear down, which would have meant minimal lift and increased drag.
One theory is the landing gear was stuck and pilots retracted the flaps to reduce drag or the flaps were faulty, causing the plane to stall.
A BIRD STRIKE CRIPPLED ENGINES
A BIRD strike could have taken out both of the plane’s General Electric engines.
In 2021, a Dreamliner aborted take-off in Mexico after birds flew into one of its engines. A study in 2018 found Ahmedabad airport had “a high potential of bird-aircraft collision hazards”.
MISTAKE BY ONE OF THE PILOTS
THE 787-8 is highly automated with pilots making key decisions, but human error cannot be ruled out.
There was a mayday from the cockpit. Capt Sumeet Sabharwal, a trained flight instructor, had 8,000 hours’ experience and his co-pilot more than 1,000.
PLANE DIDN’T USE ENOUGH RUNWAY
PLANES get less lift on a hot day due to lower air density, so need to go faster.
Flight AI171 took off in 40C heat in the early afternoon sunshine. It’s suggested the amount of runway used was less than 2,000m when a full plane on a hot day usually needs a run of 2,500m.
They record all actions taken by pilots and audio from the cockpit. Lt Col John R Davidson, a former US Air Force pilot and commercial aviation safety consultant, said: “There are a number of possible scenarios — thrust or engine performance issues, excessive aircraft weight, poor flap configuration — or a more critical failure that affected the aircraft’s ability to climb.
“Weather, wind shear or even bird strike can’t be ruled out.”
Capt Saurabh Bhatnagar, a former senior pilot, said footage showing the plane’s descent “looked like a case of multiple bird hits wherein both the engines have lost power”.
He added: “The take-off was perfect and just, I believe, short of taking the gear up, the aircraft started descending.
“This can happen only in the case the engine loses power or the aircraft stops developing lift.”
India yesterday accepted an offer of assistance from the UK’s specialist air accident investigation team and a unit was en route.
Boeing boss Kelly Ortberg last night said: “Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Air India Flight 171, as well as everyone affected in Ahmedabad.”
India's dark aviation history
A LONDON-BOUND Air India flight crashed in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on Thursday.
The following are details of some other airline accidents in India in recent decades:
AUGUST 2020
At least 18 people died and 16 were severely injured when an Air India Express Boeing 737 plane skidded off the runway in the southern city of Kozhikode during heavy rain, plunged into a valley and crashed nose-first into the ground.
MAY 2010
An Air India Boeing 737 flight from Dubai overshot the runway at the airport in the southern city of Mangaluru and crashed into a ravine, killing 158 people on board.
JULY 2000
More than 50 people were killed when a state-owned Alliance Air flight between Kolkata and the capital, New Delhi, crashed in a residential area of the eastern city of Patna.
Lewis Hamilton responds to retirement question after Mercedes struggles and ‘worst F1 race he’d ever experienced’
LEWIS HAMILTON has shut down rumours that he is going to quit F1 ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion was down in the dumps after Barcelona last time out, labelling the race the “worst he had ever experienced”.
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur revealed after the race that both Hamilton and his teammate Charles Leclerc suffered issues on their cars, but would not disclose further details.
The Italian team’s principal has come under fire since Barca with rumours swirling of an exit for the Frenchman.
Hamilton said: “Embedding new people, new personnel, or engineers or who run the organisation takes time to adjust, the impact of that is significant.
“I am here to win with Fred, he has my full support. Also to everyone that’s writing stories of me considering not racing, I’ve literally only just started my first year.
“I’m here for several years and here for the long haul there is no question where my head is at and what I’m working towards achieving with this team.
“So there’s zero doubts. Please stop making up stuff.”
To add insult to injury, Hamilton was pipped to P5 by Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber on the last lap, as Max Verstappen dropped down to P10 following his 10-second penalty for running into George Russell.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
Ferrari finished the 2024 season with perhaps the fastest car on the grid and came second to McLaren in the Constructors’ title race by a whisker.
Now they trail McLaren by 197 points after the first nine race weekends and the chances of a championship appear all but over.
This has sparked speculation over Vasseur’s future, which Hamilton has hit out as “nonsense”.
He said: “It’s definitely not nice to hear that there are stories like that that are out there. Firstly, I love working with Fred.
“Fred’s the main reason I’m in this team and got the opportunity to be here, which I’m forever grateful for. And we’re in this together. We’re working hard in the background.
“Ultimately, it’s nonsense what people have written. Most people don’t know what’s going on in the background.”
As violent thugs riot & ‘turn UK town into Iraq’, locals claim unchecked migrants have been ‘dumped on their doorstep’
WITH petrol bombs lighting up the night sky and fireworks crackling over head, Ballymena was ablaze once again.
Balaclava-clad thugs hurled bricks, rocks and bottles — anything they could get their hands on — against a barricade of police Land Rover Tangis standing in their way.
Riot officers blocking access to Bridge Street retaliated with water cannon and baton rounds.
But the dense crowd that had gathered outside Dreams department store only seemed more excited by the nightmare spectacle, whooping and taking pictures with their phones as spy drones hovered overhead.
This was the third night of anti- immigration protests in Northern Ireland and residents said it was a flashback to the worst days of the Troubles, when sectarian violence caused regular clashes with police.
Terrified Karen Portas, 54, said: “I haven’t seen anything like it since the 1970s and 1980s. I was scared for my life last night.
“I felt like I was living in Iraq with everything smashing and burning.
“The noise started at around midnight. I looked out of my window and saw a load of boys in balaclavas wielding baseball bats.
“These were young boys, just 14 to 15, but they were setting fire to houses without a care for who was inside — setting fire to homes owned by white people — and the police didn’t do a thing, so it’s no wonder the young people are not scared of them.
“When they unleashed the water cannon, they started cheering like they were at a water park.”
‘The lid came off’
Karen, who is retired on medical grounds, lives in the Clonavon Terrace area of Ballymena, which became the focus of the carnage this week.
Rioting erupted after a young girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by two 14-year-old boys, who were charged with attempted rape and then asked for a Romanian translator when they appeared at Coleraine Magistrates’ Court.
A peaceful protest began on Monday night then turned ugly as locals complained they were having foreigners and migrants “dumped” on their doorstep in record numbers.
A total of 15 officers were injured during clashes and four homes — including those of the alleged perpetrators — were attacked that night.
On Tuesday, more officers were injured and more homes set alight as the violence spread to other towns.
Gangs of feral masked teenagers returned to the streets on Wednesday, their mindless antics streamed across countless channels on social media.
I understand the anger. If it was my daughter that was attacked, I don’t know what I would do.
Karen, local
Cradling her dog TJ as she stood on the shattered glass outside her home, Karen said tensions with the Roma community lay behind the appalling scenes.
She said: “I understand the anger. If it was my daughter that had been attacked, I don’t know what I would do.
“People feel the Government is sending migrants here without any fact-checking.
“There are lots of Roma people now and the women and children are lovely, in my experience.
“It’s the men that are the problem. They put their furniture in the street and the way they leer at you when you walk past is disgusting.
“My daughter tells me they’ve opened brothels and girls are trafficked here to work in them.
“There’s a garage down that alleyway where they drink and take drugs and make noise throughout the night. It’s not acceptable, and this used to be a lovely place to live.
“But I’m one of the only Irish people left here now.”
Ballymena was still littered with riot debris on Wednesday, after many newcomers from Bulgaria, Poland and the Philippines decided to flee.
Smashed and boarded-up windows, gutted terraced houses and the charred outlines of torched cars could be seen across town, showing how the chaos had escalated. Cowering residents had taken to sticking Union Jacks to their doors, some even placing signs such as “Filipino lives here”, to deter further attacks.
As rumours spread that Unionist paramilitaries were behind the rampage, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn condemned what he termed “racist violence”.
If someone arrives here as an illegal immigrant or as a legal migrant, they will be given priority as the system will bend over backwards to find them housing.
DUP councillor Lawrie Philpott
But DUP councillor Lawrie Philpott insisted the clashes were an inevitable reaction to years of unchecked migration.
He told The Sun: “Protest is the wrong word. It was a gathering of about 5,000 people from across Northern Ireland who wanted to show their disgust at what is going on.
“The pot has boiled and it went bang — the lid came off. The issue is that you can’t find affordable housing to live in and when you go to the government to ask for help, you’re given the brush-off. And this all stems from Westminster.
“If someone arrives here as an illegal immigrant or as a legal migrant, they will be given priority as the system will bend over backwards to find them housing.
“That’s wrong and this is simmering across the whole of the province and across the UK.
“I see this going like a domino and it is mob rule and thuggery, but this is not racism. People feel they have nowhere else to go and what do you do when you’re stuck in a corner? You come out fighting.
“I’m a Ballymena man and this used to be 100 per cent British. The demographic started to change just five or seven years ago and people are angry.”
Situated in County Antrim, 25 miles north west of Belfast, Ballymena was where Unionist firebrand Ian Paisley, who died aged 88 in 2014, grew up.
His spirit lives on with Union Jacks lining almost every street ahead of the annual marching parade season, which starts next month.
The region is known as Northern Ireland’s equivalent of the Bible Belt, where Protestantism is the dominant religion and “drugs, the devil and debauchery” are abhorred.
Pensioner Trevor Boyd, 77, was handing out Christian leaflets on Wednesday.
He said: “I’m here to tell people that Jesus loves everyone no matter where you are from.
“Ballymena is a good town and while there has always been tension between Protestants and Catholics, I have never seen anything like this in my life.
“The issue is there have been a lot of people moving into the area who are not working and the numbers have escalated in recent years. People think that’s because of migrants crossing the Channel and it makes them angry. It became a bomb waiting to go off.
“It is like Southport in England. It just took this particular incident to start an explosion.”
‘They’re scared’
Butcher Martin Scullion, 59, slammed the government in Westminster.
He said: “They’re out of touch with what is going on here. The English don’t give a flying toss about us.
“If they had their way, they’d get rid of us.
“The older generation and youngsters can’t come out on the streets because they’re scared of being molested and touched.
“I’m not being racist, but it’s getting worse.
“I’ve heard there are gangs of Roma gypsies heading this way and filling up cans with fuel from the petrol station.
“I don’t know what they’re planning, it’s scary.
“I’ve run this butcher’s shop for ten years and it was a different place back then. It was grand, you knew everybody.
Last night was terrifying. We saw houses burning and people smashing the doors and throwing big rocks.
Kristine, relocated from the Philippines
“You don’t know who is on the streets now.
“I’ve had potatoes stolen from the shop and when the thief is arrested they say, ‘I don’t speak English’.”
Baker Kristine Landicho, 40, lives in Ballymena with her husband Elizer and son Prince, 11, having relocated from Philippines capital Manila.
She said: “Last night was terrifying. We saw houses burning and people smashing the doors and throwing big rocks.
“We’ve only been here for seven months. Before this it was quiet here and people were nice, but this week was scary.
“The first night it was locals attacking the houses and the second night it was people from all over Northern Ireland.
“The second night was the worst because there were so many cars and houses on fire.
“They think we are all the same and they don’t like mass migration. Luckily, they didn’t attack our house.
“I’m worried they will come for us again tonight. But as long as we are safe, we will keep living in Northern Ireland.”
