Key Points

Alok Singh said, "This is a very tragic incident. It will be marked as Black Day in world aviation industry. This is the rarest of rare incident. From the video it is clear that the aircraft stopped producing lift. The reason for this could be loss of thrust on both engines which could have happened due to fuel starvation, engine could have stopped getting fuel. A bird strike is also a possibility. This can also be a pilot error. It can also be a technical fault."

Singh emphasised the importance of the black box, which records crucial data and cockpit conversations. He explained that the data from the black box would be analysed to determine the exact cause of the crash.

"The black box is so strong that it can withstand an explosion also. Black box has two components one is the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) all the communications in the cockpit can be recorded and the second is the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFTR). In DFTR in which all the parameters of the aircraft are recorded. First, the data will be derived from the black box, and then it will be analysed. It just provides the data. Then, investigative agencies will analyse the data and come to conclusion," he said.

Singh praised the reliability of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, noting that this is the first major incident involving the aircraft. He highlighted the aircraft's good safety record, with only minor issues reported due to aging fleet.

"In the last 11 to 12 years, it has been in service and no such incident took place. Recently, there were reports that as the fleet is ageing, some minor issues are arising," he said.

Singh commended the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu for their surveillance initiatives, ensuring that all parameters of the aircraft are checked twice to guarantee passenger safety.

Singh stressed that the aviation industry learns from every accident and takes steps to prevent similar incidents in the future. He also explained the significance of the Mayday call, an international distress signal that prioritizes emergency landings or airspace.

"All the parameters of the aircraft before releasing to service, they want to make sure that the passengers are safe and the aircraft is safe. All the systems are checked twice so that such incident is not repeated. This is a white body aircraft and used on long-haul routes. It is called a workhorse for Air India. So far, technical glitches have been very few in it," he further said.

"Whenever any accident happens in the aviation industry, we learn from it. We try to see that the mistake is not repeated," he said.

He further said that Mayday call is an International Distress Call in aviation.

"When we are announcing Mayday we are declaring emergency and help is required. ATC gives priority to such flights for landing or air space. In US and Europe aircraft are landed properly after mayday call," he added.

He said that in an aircraft, there are more than 200 computers that are engaged in monitoring.

"Whatever has happened took place after the take off was initiated. It happened at very less height. The total flight was total 57 seconds and stalled after 26 second. The pilot had no option. The flight crashed into the nearest building," he added.

Earlier Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi provided an update on Saturday regarding the ongoing efforts to identify victims of the tragic London-bound Air India flight crash, noting that 19 DNA samples have matched so far, confirming the identities of several victims as of 9:00 PM today.

In a post on X, the Gujarat Home Minister stated that the state Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) unit and the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) team have been working through the night to match more DNA samples.

"Update as of 9:00 PM - DNA Matching Progress: 19 DNA samples have been matched so far, confirming the identities of victims. Ongoing Efforts: State Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) unit team and National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) team are working through the night to match more DNA samples," Sanghavi stated.

On Thursday, the Air India flight AI171 was en route to London from Ahmedabad when it crashed shortly after takeoff from the airport, ramming into a doctors' hostel of BJ Medical College in Gujarat's Ahmedabad.

There were 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. Of the passengers, 241 died in the crash. The lone survivor, identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment.

- ANI