India's Boeing 787 Accident: Landing Gear Not Retracted Before Crash
A Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by Air India crashed on the 12th near Ahemdabad International Airport, with almost all passengers confirmed dead. Surveillance footage revealed that the landing gear was not retracted post-takeoff, leading experts to speculate whether the pilots had no time to respond or believed they could still control the aircraft.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated that the aircraft issued a 'MAYDAY' call to Air Traffic Control (ATC) before the crash but did not respond after that. The aircraft fell shortly after takeoff from runway 23, causing a significant fire and smoke at the scene.
According to Paul Edwards from the Royal Aeronautical Society, both adequate airspeed and climb rate, essential for takeoff, were not achieved in this incident. He questioned why the pilots failed to retract the landing gear, suggesting this could be a critical point in the investigation. The actual circumstances remain unclear.
