In an attempt to make sense of the mysterious crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, I have made an initial reconstruction based purely on public sources, simulations and witness accounts. I want to emphasize that I am not a certified aviation expert; my findings are preliminary and may be adjusted with advancing knowledge or new data.
Morning of disaster
Air India flight 171 departed from runway 23 of Amiraabad Airport around 01:38 local time, with an estimated 242 occupants on board. Ambient temperature: a scorching 38 °C, air pressure 1,000 mbar. In simulations, these conditions already produced dramatically reduced air density: the Dreamliner needed the entire 3,500 m runway to break free.
Sound and testimonials
A local witness reported a series of loud pops during acceleration a hallmark of early compressor stalls. At the same time, no really powerful engine noises were heard as one would expect with a still-functioning GE NX turbine. That led me to the theory of a simultaneous failure of both engines just after V₁ speed.
Distinction with flap or pilot errors
Although some amateur forums cite flaps errors or clumsy landing gear use as the culprit, I found intact slats and no unmistakable evidence of pilot missteps in photos of the wreckage. However, I did notice, in the available shots, that the landing gear tilted forward askew midway through the retraction a signal that hydraulic pressure was lost during the retraction. That supports the engine failure hypothesis, because in a dual engine failure, the hydraulic pumps usually fail as well.
Water in the fuel?
How can modern GNX engines fail so suddenly? Fuel contamination with water has been shown to lead to similar compressor stalls in previous incidents, such as Cathay Pacific 780 (2008). Water in the tanks causes steam formation and compressor surges, often audible as thunderous bangs. Several bystanders mentioned such a bang just before the crash.
The ram air turbine
Some footage shows something resembling the deployment of the ram air turbine, an emergency generator that automatically deploys in the event of total power loss. Although the footage is not crystal clear, this fits a scenario in which both engines fail and the aircraft briefly continues to fly on emergency power.
Many questions still open
There is also speculation of a double bird strike, or even an electrical failure that crippled the entire controls. Officials in India have ordered an accelerated, thorough inspection of fuel, hydraulic, electrical and mechanical systems on all of Air India's 787s.
My reconstruction provides an initial framework, but the final explanation will have to come from the technical data of the flight data recorder and in-depth forensic investigation. With each new data delivery, the context may shift and thus change the content of this story. Until then, we are left with only cautious waiting, while we are in prayer for the families, all the rescuers and those expressing sympathy for the bereaved.
I continue to follow this case and will update my findings as new, substantiated information becomes available.
