A Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft heading to London crashed shortly after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad reportedly killing 231 passengers out of the 232 and 10 crew on board, making it one of the largest aviation accidents in the country to date. Besides the passengers and crew, scores of casualties from the ground have been reported after the plane crashed into a doctors’ hostel during lunch hour in what is an otherwise bustling residential area.
While it is too early to speculate on the cause of the crash, theories have already begun going around on social media. Possible causes include multiple bird strikes, the kind possible if the plane flies into a flock during takeoff, causing a failure in both engines. Others suggest that it was improper safety protocol, while still others point to a possible pilot error. What is not adequately taken into account by these theories is that barely hours earlier, the plane had flown in from Delhi with no major issues reported, while the flight captain was a very experienced pilot.
There’s only one thing that can help us get to the bottom of the matter and that is a full, impartial investigation that thoroughly explores every single possible cause including possible failures or neglect by Air India, now owned and operated by the Tatas, the Adani Group, which operates the Ahmedabad Airport, the role of Boeing the maker of the plane as well as the Government safety regulatory authority -- the DGCA -- whose role it is to ensure all the above agencies are doing their job without cutting any corners or compromising on safety.
If there’s one thing that the incident has brought right into focus is the years of neglected safety protocols at plane maker Boeing’s offices, their attempts to suppress whistleblowers and profit-making practices that very often have come at the cost of safety. Boeing has been at the receiving end of multiple lawsuits since the days of the crashes involving its 737 Max planes that were allegedly rushed through despite several faults. Two crashes -- a Lion Air crash in Indonesia in 2018 and an Ethiopian Airlines crash in 2019 -- led to the global grounding of the aeroplane model and a relook at its safety and systems.
The 787 Dreamliner has been a reliable plane and this aircraft in particular has been in service since 2014. Thursday’s crash represents the first crash involving this model of aircraft. It would be helpful if Boeing, rather than trying to fire engineers to improve its bottom line, took accountability for the various incidents that have afflicted its planes and came clean on the way it plans to work its way out of these disasters.
The other thing this incident highlighted is the risks faced by those living in buildings that are built around busy airports, especially those falling in the funnel zone. Here in Goa, the Dabolim Airport has been at the centre of controversy and political squabbling over allowing buildings around the airport. Minister of Transport and local MLA Mauvin Godinho has, in the past even publicly berated the Navy for not relaxing norms for construction within the radius of the airport. Incidents like these serve as a reminder of why private profit or political expediency must never be allowed to compromise public safety. A thorough investigation free from outsider interference is our only hope for answers to this terrible tragedy.
