Paul Fromme comments on Air India plane crash

Prof Paul Fromme, Chair of the Aerospace Division, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, comments on the next steps in the investigation of the Air India crash at Ahmedabad:

“The first step will be to recover and analyse the flight data and cockpit voice recorders (‘black box’). While it obviously was a catastrophic crash, it occurred in an accessible area and from low altitude, therefore there is a good likelihood that these will be retrieved soon and in reasonably good condition to facilitate a quick initial analysis. These will be evaluated by the Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, with possible assistance from Boeing and US authorities. In addition to the voice record of any cockpit conversations, the flight data recorder has the information on engine and control settings. This should show quickly if there was a loss of engine power or lift after take-off and allow a preliminary determination of the likely cause for the crash.”