Accident Overview - An Air India Boeing 787 crashed after takeoff, impacting a medical school [1] - The flight was en route from Amadabad to London's Gatwick airport, a roughly 9-hour flight [4] - Over 200 bodies were recovered from the crash site [1] Investigation Focus - The flight data recorder (black box) has been recovered, and investigators are in the data collection phase [4] - Investigators will focus on performance and configuration of the aircraft, including landing gear position [7] - The investigation aims to determine the probable cause of the accident quickly [8] Aviation Safety & Context - Globally, approximately 12,000 flights occur daily [10] - Boeing has delivered nearly 1,200 Boeing 787s to date [10] - Boeing has flown their billionth passenger, highlighting the safety of the system [11] - The aviation industry emphasizes flight safety, operational excellence, and training [12] - Lessons learned from this tragedy will be used to prevent future occurrences [13] Aircraft & Airline Reputation - The aircraft was a Boeing jet with GE aerospace engines [9] - Air India has a good reputation for maintenance and upkeep of its planes [9] - The 11-year-old plane is within the expected operational lifespan [9]
Former FAA acting administrator on what investigators would focus on in Air India's crash