The crash of Air India flight AI171 has shaken confidence in air travel and triggered a flood of questions during a recent Independent Q&A.
It was the first fatal accident involving the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, an aircraft that had safely carried more than a billion passengers since entering service in 2011. But on 12 June, just moments after take-off from Ahmedabad, the flight bound for London Gatwick crashed. Only one of the 242 people on board survived. Dozens more died on the ground.
Unease has grown following a series of high-profile incidents, the most recent of which being a crash of a small aircraft at Southend Airport, which has forced the hub to shut “until further notice”.
The Dutch operator Zeusch Aviation said its SUZ1 flight had been involved in a crash, and witnesses described a fireball erupting as the plane hit the ground. An investigation is ongoing.
Preliminary findings on the Air India disaster have ruled out mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft or its engines. Air India has confirmed that its entire 787 fleet was inspected following the crash and all aircraft were cleared to fly.
While the pilots passed their pre-flight breathalyser tests and no health concerns were flagged, investigators revealed that both fuel cutoff switches had been flipped shortly after takeoff, shutting down the aircraft’s engines. The pilots’ association has rejected suggestions of human error, and the families of victims say they remain unconvinced by the early conclusions.
As always in the early stages of an investigation, aviation safety experts are considering a wide spectrum of possible contributory factors. Lessons learned will eventually be shared with the wider industry – that’s how aviation safety improves: by understanding the causes of past tragedies.
The same process will be undertaken following the crash at Southend.
Several readers asked whether flying is still safe, whether budget airlines cut corners, and if Boeing can still be trusted. Others asked about the world’s riskiest airports and how to stay calm in the face of fear. These are important questions – and the answers matter more now than ever.
Below are selected highlights from the Ask Me Anything in June, where I responded as directly and clearly as possible. For those who want to go deeper, you can sign up to…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Independent Travel…