Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane crashed shortly after taking off. It seems unbelievable, but this is the most dangerous phase of commercial flights
Of the nearly 10 hours of flight that the Air India plane should make between Ahmedabad and Gatwick, London, just a few minutes were more critical. It is that, contrary to what one might think, “the overwhelming majority” of air accidents occurs in landing and dropping phases, the Commander José Correia Guedes, former pilot and aviation specialist, indicates to CNN Portugal.
Thursday’s accident with a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane from an airport in the city of Ahmedabad, India, reminds us that. Of the 1,468 accidents recorded in 2024 by the International Air Transport Association, 770 occurred in the landing phase and 124 in the takeoff phase.
Commander José Correia Guedes attributes the highest percentage of accidents in these phases when the plane is “fuel loaded” – “I imagine there are about 40 tons of fuel at least perhaps more”, he underlines – and the engines are “near the maximum regime”, ie the maximum power to get power to raise flight.
“Therefore, this is in the boundaries. Anything that changes these limits can and causes serious problems,” explains the former pilot, referring, for example, “a collision with birds”, the so-called ‘Bird Strike’, which the commander does not exclude as a cause of the accident on Thursday, and which can cause engine failures.
“Or, a human mistake during take -off, this possibility is also open,” he adds.
According to the various videos already available, the plane raised and then how it planned to the crash in a matter of seconds.
Mary Schiavo, former inspector general of the US Department of Transportation, confirms to CNN Internacional that “the descent and landing are the most dangerous moments.” “It’s a critical moment,” he says, adding that “airports represent a lot more stress for pilots, air traffic controllers and the plane.”
“Throughout the take -off process, there are no communications”
So much so that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA, on the original acronym) does not allow any unnecessary conversation or activities in the cockpit below 10,000 feet. This is called “Sterile Cockpit”, a concept that was introduced by FAA in 1981 and applied to all commercial flights, after being concluded that there were a number of accidents caused by flight crews that were distracted in conversations and other non-essential activities in these critical flight times.
José Correia Guedes reveals that, “throughout the process of dropping out, there are no communications.” “The control tower authorizes the plane to take off and, from then on, the conversation is over, throughout the process of dropping there are no communications of any kind. Then, when the plane is already rising and stabilized, then the communications are resumed,” he says.
AI171 AI171 from Air India drew right after taking off the Ahmedabad airport in India and was destined for Gatwick Airport in London. The plane was heading with 242 people on board, including members of the crew, including 169 Indian citizens, 53 British, seven Portuguese and one Canadian, according to the airline.
The flight signal was lost at 13:38 locations at 625 feet (less than 200 meters) of altitude, according to FlightTarda24 data. Air traffic control received a relief request (Mayday) shortly after offspring, but the device failed to respond to the control attempts by the control tower. “Immediately after running track 23, the aircraft fell on the ground outside the perimeter of the airport,” it refers to a statement from the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation of India.
At the time of publication of this article, two flight survivors were found, according to GS Malik Police Commissioner. One of the survivors was found alive in place, confirmed the official, quoted by the Ani agency.
