Kolkata: Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, has said that the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner which crashed near Ahmedabad airport on June 12 “definitely” experienced a loss of engine power at a critical stage, leaving no time for recovery.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday on the sidelines of an ICC event on MSMEs in the defence sector, Raha called the crash “heartbreaking” and refrained from endorsing speculation about sabotage.
“This is very sad, heartbreaking. So many people died together. As of now, it is very difficult to say what has gone wrong,” Raha said.
The ill-fated Ahmedabad–London flight crashed into buildings on a medical college campus shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 241 of the 242 people onboard, in addition to several casualties on the ground.
⚠️ Critical Engine Failure
“Definitely there was loss of power and at a critical stage… you are transmitting from the ground into the air, your height is little. There is no time for recovery. And loss of engine power will result in a stall… will then descend very rapidly and crash. And that is what has happened,” Raha explained.
Calling such simultaneous engine failures on both sides “one in a billion cases”, the former Air Force chief said the aircraft’s twin engines are designed to provide consistent thrust and that losing both simultaneously is extremely rare.
🔍 Investigations Must Take Their Course
Raha cautioned against jumping to conclusions and discouraged theories about sabotage.
“There might be a software issue, some problem in the control, fuel contamination… But I do not give any credence to the sabotage angle. The loss of power was an indication of some glitch,” he said.
“We should not make any wild claims till the DGCA and other agencies of the government complete the probe,” he added.
🧩 Role of Ground Staff and Other Factors
Responding to questions about potential human error, Raha acknowledged the importance of ground crew assessments.
“Based on these inputs on the ground, the pilot takes off. You can’t add several kgs to the stipulated figures. But as I said, investigations will unravel the reason and factors,” he noted.
He dismissed a bird strike as a likely cause and urged authorities to look into whistleblower complaints from within the airline company.
“There were complaints by whistleblowers from their own company. I think those need to be investigated,” he said.
Push for Indigenous Engine Manufacturing
Earlier in his ICC address, Raha emphasized the need for India to develop indigenous aircraft engine manufacturing capabilities, stating that reliance on foreign technologies limits operational self-reliance in both civilian and defence aviation.