What can lead to the destruction of the Air India plane in 30 seconds?

What happened with AI171 flight between Ahmedabad and London Gatwick on Thursday afternoon will be revealed only by a detailed investigation, but the moments after takeoff can become the most difficult in aviation.

In the coming days, Indian investigators are joined by experts from the United States and the UK when the authorities are trying to establish what made the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner break up soon after takeoff only 1.5 km (0.9 miles) from the runway at the International Airport Sardar Vallabhbha.

This is the first time for the first time when 787-8 Dreamliner has suffered a deadly disaster since joining the commercial service in 2011. A 241 people were killed and more.

The BBC talked to aviation experts, as well as with pilots based in India – some of which spoke subject to anonymity – which regularly flew 787-8s from India’s international airports to find out what factors could cause the plane to the residential buildings in the ahmedabad heart, only a few minutes in his flight.

787-8 Dreamliner was flying Captain Squat Subhal and his pilot Kondar. Both were very experienced, with more than 9,000 combined hours. Mr. Sabharwal has earned more than 22 years of experience as a pilot of a commercial airline.

The plane was transported 242 when it was fed on the runway at the Ahmedabad international airport on Thursday afternoon. The jet took off at 13:39 local time (08:09 GMT), said the operator Air India.

Indian Interior Minister Amite Shah said the plane was transporting 100 tons of fuel – a practically full load – when he got out of Ahmedabad.

Almost immediately after take -off in the cockpit, the Mayday said, India’s aviation regulator said. After that, the planes did not respond. It is unclear what pushed the Mayday call, but the only survival of the flight told the Indian media that he heard a loud blow when the plane fought to get height.

The frames that have undergone BBC Verify showed that the aircraft flew low over what seems to be a residential quarter. The final data showed that the plane reached a height of 625 feet (109 m). It continues to descend and covered with trees and buildings before a large explosion appears on the horizon.

“It wouldn’t be time for him to react if he lost both engines,” one pilot said. CCTV frames viewed by the BBC Verify showed that the plane was in the air for 30 seconds.

The plane crashed in a living space, with images showing housing blocks, badly damaged in a densely built area, which included hospitals and official buildings.

It is almost impossible to determine what caused a catastrophe based on a video of a short plane.

In the coming days, a complex investigation involving a black aircraft box – recording flight data – will start the garbage examination. But the video that appeared shows that the plane is struggling to remove from the ground seemingly a lack of thrust and strength.

One of the reasons for which some experts thought is an opportunity for an extremely rare dual engine failure. Questions were raised whether the aircraft was deployed in an air turbine (rat), an emergency reserve turbine that begins when the main engines cannot earn power for the necessary systems.

The double motors’ failures are almost unheard of, with the most notable example is the “Miracle in Hudsan” 2009, when the American Airbus A320 lost both engines as a result of birds after taking off Laguardia New York, but slid up.

One senior pilot told the BBC that a double engine failure may also result from fuel pollution or clogging. The aircraft engines rely on the accurate fuel accounting system – if this system is blocked, it can lead to fasting fuel and shutting off the engine.

Mark Chan, ex-pilot, said the BBC to make sure there is no evidence that would involve a double engine malfunction based on the available frames.

Mohan Rangonathan, an aviation expert, said the BBC that the double failure of the engine would be “very rare incident”.

GE Aerospace engines said he was sending a team to India to assist in the investigation, while Boeing said he offered full support for the airline.

Another opportunity that some experts in India arise is a bird strike.

They arise when the plane faces the bird and can be extremely dangerous for planes. In serious cases, engines can lose power when they suck out in the bird as it happened in South Korea’s air disaster of Jeju As a result, 179 people were killed last year.

Experts and pilots familiar with Ahmedabad airport said the BBC that it was a “notorious bird”.

“They’re always nearby,” says Mr. Rangonathan, repeating what at least three Indian pilots flew at the airport and for him, the BBC reported.

The Gujarat state, where Ahmedabad is located, reported 462 bird strike incidents for five years, the majority occurred at Ahmedabad’s airport, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, given in the parliament in December 2023.

In September 2023, in September 2023, the airport data was quoted, noting 38 bird beats in 2022-23 in Ahmedabad, increasing by 35% in the previous 12 months.

In the case of 2009, a flock of seagull was taken at 2,700 feet – more than four times higher than the Air India flight. In this case, the Indian pilots had neither height nor time for maneuver.

However, the senior pilot said the hit of birds rarely catastrophic “unless it affects both engine.”

Three experts who talked to the BBC suggested that the catastrophe may have occurred when the planes were not extended during the takeoff – although other pilots and analysts challenged it.

The flaps play a vital role during takeoff, helping the aircraft to create maximum rise at smaller speeds.

If they are not properly, fully loaded with jet – passengers, heavy fuel for long -range flight and combating hot conditions – will fight to remove.

In Ahmedabad, where the temperature of 40 ° C (104F) approached on Thursday, more thin air would require higher sash settings and greater engine craving, one BBC pilot said. In such circumstances, even a slight configuration error may have catastrophic consequences.

CCTV footage, which appeared late on Thursday, showed that the aircraft flew out of Ahmedabad, struggling to reach the height and then slowly descend before crashing.

But the roll with a closed flavor causes warnings from the 787 take -off warning system, warning of a flight crew about a dangerous configuration, according to one pilot that the BBC has addressed.

Ex-pilot Mr. Chan told the BBC to make sure that the footage that appeared so far were too distorted to accurately establish whether the flaps were expanded, but said that such a mistake would be “very unusual”.

“There are flaps before takeoff, and there are several control lists and procedures to check the settings,” Mr. Chan said. “This will point to a potential human mistake if the flaps are not installed correctly.”

Additional reporting by Jake Horton