Air India Crash: Declassified - Discovery Channel

Discovery and Science Channel has the story.

What caused the tragedy of Air India Flight 171? Experts dissect official reports and new findings in attempt to uncover why the plane crashed, ending the lives of all but 1 passenger on board.

Air India Crash - Boeing Fuel Control Switch Error Explained

AiTelly on Youtube has the story.

Three Seconds to Disaster”:

The Story Behind Air India Flight AI 117Tragic Dual Engine Failure

On what began as an ordinary day, Air India Flight AI117 prepared for takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport.

The skies were clear, the aircraft—well-maintained and staffed by experienced pilots—was ready for its scheduled journey. Everything appeared routine. But within seconds of liftoff, something unthinkable happened.

A Smooth Takeoff Turns Sudden

At 08:08 G M T, the aircraft began its takeoff roll down the runway, accelerating steadily.

As the nose lifted and the wheels left the ground, the plane climbed with expected power. 

By the third second after liftoff, it had reached a speed of around 180 knots—typical and well within safe parameters.

But right at that moment—just three seconds into the flight—the normalcy ended.

A Critical, Sudden Action

In the cockpit, both pilots were carrying out post-takeoff procedures when, inexplicably, a critical error occurred.

The fuel control switches for Engine 1 and Engine 2—the controls that allow fuel to flow to the engines—were moved from RUN to CUTOFF, almost simultaneously.

Within about one second, both switches had been thrown, one after the other. This action abruptly severed the fuel supply to both engines.

It wasn’t a mechanical fault. It wasn’t turbulence. It wasn’t a system glitch. Something, or someone, had physically moved both switches.

"Why Did You Cut Off?"

In those next few moments, the cockpit voice recorder captured a tense and confused exchange between the pilots.

“Why did you cut off?” one asked, alarm in his voice.

“I didn’t,” came the immediate reply.

This short but chilling dialogue reveals a moment of sheer disbelief. Neither pilot appeared to understand what had just occurred.

Neither had knowingly taken the action that caused both engines to shut down in mid-air—just seconds into the flight.

The Engines Wind Down

With no fuel flowing, the aircraft’s engines began winding down rapidly. The engine speeds—monitored as N1 and N2—dropped sharply.

The aircraft, now without thrust, was essentially gliding. But it wasn’t designed to glide, especially not this soon after takeoff, and especially not at low altitude.

Almost immediately, the aircraft’s emergency backup system kicked in.

The Ram Air Turbine a small wind-powered device used to generate emergency hydraulic and electrical power—deployed automatically.

This helped maintain minimal control and instrumentation, but couldn’t restart the engines or stop the descent.

Air India crash: Investigators recover black box as families wait for answers

Global News has the story.

Indian authorities have recovered the crucial flight recorder from Air India Flight 171, which crashed on Thursday in Ahmedabad. 

India’s civil aviation minister said Friday the black box recovery marks a crucial step forward in the investigation.

The crash killed 241 people on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and another 78 people were killed when the plane hit a medical school dorm. 

Nathaniel Dove has more on what the black box could tell us about the crash.

Sole survivor of Air India crash speaks out: “I don’t know how I survived”

Global News has the story.

Ramesh Viswashkumar, the sole survivor of Air India’s Flight 171 – which fatally crashed into a building in Ahmedabad on Thursday – has spoken out, sharing his harrowing experience escaping the wreckage of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.

 

“I don’t [know] how I survived,” Viswashkumar told a reporter from his hospital bed Friday. “It was in front of my eyes that the air hostess and others [died]," he added.

 

Viswashkumar said the portion of the plane he was in landed on the ground of the medical college hostel the aircraft hit. He said the side of the plane he was on had a “little space” which he was able to escape from, further noting that if anyone on the other side of the plan had survived, they would not have been able to escape.

 

The crash killed 241 people on board, including a Canadian dentist from Mississauga, Ont.

Air India flight crashes with over 240 on board Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Global News has the story.

An Air India flight headed to London’s Gatwick Airport with 242 passengers on board crashed into a hostel associated with a medical college in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on Thursday. The crash took place five minutes after takeoff. Officials said there were no survivors but reports are emerging of a lone survivor. 

 

On board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner included 168 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian.

  

Footage captured parts of the plane's body, luggage and debris scattered around the impacted building – as well as smoldering vehicles nearby. The tail of the plane was left embedded into the dining room at B.J. Medical College and Civil Hospital.

India, Pakistan accuse each other of 'violations' hours after reaching ceasefire deal

CBC News has the story.

Nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan are accusing each other of violating a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement. This comes after multiple explosions were reported in Indian-controlled Kashmir just hours after the deal was reached on Saturday.

7,000 Indian students at risk of deportation from Canada over fake acceptance letters

TimesXP on Youtube has the story.

On November 15, officials from Canada’s Immigration Department revealed a massive scam. They found that around 10,000 students who came to Canada on a student visa had fake acceptance letters. And get this—most of these students are from Gujarat and Punjab! This could mean that around 7,000 to 8,000 Indian students may have to leave Canada.

Discovery of Lithium in India's Jammu and Kashmir

WION on Youtube has the story.

Discovery of Lithium in India's J&K. About 5.9 million tonnes of Lithium deposits found in J&K. The discovery makes India 7th largest Lithium resource-rich country.

How much does 1 ton of lithium cost?

In 2022, the average price of battery-grade lithium carbonate was estimated at 37,000 USA dollars per metric ton.

As of September 2023, lithium carbonate prices were assessed at USD 29,000 per metric ton. In the third quarter of 2023, in the Asia Pacific region, lithium prices experienced a decline for several reasons, including ample inventory, limited demand from downstream industries, and low import prices.

Value for a ton of pure gold (estimate) is £41,517,000.

How many kg of lithium is in a Tesla battery?

A typical EV battery has about 8 kilograms of lithium, 14 kilograms of cobalt, and 20 kilograms of manganese, although this can often be much more depending on the battery size – a Tesla Model S' battery, for example, contains around 62.6 kg (138 pounds) of lithium.

The most important use of lithium is indeed in rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras and electric vehicles. Lithium is also used in some non-rechargeable batteries for things like heart pacemakers, toys and clocks.

Indian PM makes first remarks about assassination plot claims

CBC News: The National on Youtube has the story.

CBC/Radio-Canada is a Canadian public broadcast service.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi says he will 'look into any evidence' that his country planned the assassination of perceived enemies on Canadian and American soil — his first remarks on the matter since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau brought them out publicly in August.

India tunnel collapse: 2nd pipeline "breakthrough" allows food to be sent to trapped workers

Global News on Youtube has the story.

Rescuers in India’s Himalayas said on Monday that they have pushed through a new pipeline to deliver cooked food to 41 workers trapped for more than a week in a collapsed tunnel in the town of Uttarkashi. They said preparations were under way to start vertical drilling to pull them out.

According to authorities, the men have been stuck in the highway tunnel in Uttarakhand state since it caved in early on Nov. 12 and are safe, with access to light, oxygen, dry food, water and medicines already being sent by a smaller pipe.

"We have achieved the first breakthrough which we were trying for the past nine days,” National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation director Anshu Manish Khalko said. “Now, our next work will be to take out the drill bit from the pipe and to re-establish communication with them and figure out if there are any obstructions in between.”

Authorities said the men have been receiving nuts, puffed rice, chickpeas and other dry food through the smaller pipe, but will now also get hot food including rice, lentils, soybeans and peas. Officials have not said what caused the 4.5 kilometer tunnel to cave in, but the region is prone to landslides, earthquakes and floods.

For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/video/10100454/india-tunnel-collapse-cracking-noises-halt-rescue-operation-for-40-trapped-workers

Canada says India has violated international law, Canada halts in-person services at consulates

Global News on Youtube has the story.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government on Friday of violating international law through its threat to revoke diplomatic status of Canadian officials in that country, saying the move by New Delhi could have far reaching consequences.

His comments came after Canada pulled out 41 diplomats from the country as the tension between the two countries shows no sign of lightening.

As Sean Previl reports, the reduction in staff means consular access is also going to be more limited in the country.

What are the geopolitical implications of India's success in space?

DW News on Youtube has the story.

India has launched its first space mission to study the sun. The Aditya L1 spacecraft will travel to the outermost part of the sun's orbit. Its aim is to record data that will help scientists to understand how massive explosions of solar gases happen, and and how they impact the Earth. The mission is due to take around 5 years.

That means India's last two space missions have been successful. Both missions are different, technically difficult missions. Do they proove that India is now among the leaders in space exploration?

Both China and India are rising military and economic powers. They regularly clash on their shared border, and both countries have very ambitious space programs. Will this rivalry in space change their relationship on the ground?

Some discoveries in space affect the way we live on earth, but how much of space exploration is really about politics, bravado and flexing on the world stage?

India's moon lander performs hop experiment

India's moon lander performs hop experiment

Sky News on Youtube has the story.

India has become the fourth country to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon, but is the first to touch down on the relatively unexplored lunar south pole.

The country's space agency has successfully tested a lander hop experiment. It means the lander made the soft-landing again on the lunar surface.

Chandrayaan-3 Rover Confirms Sulphur On Moon's Surface

Chandrayaan-3 Rover Confirms Sulphur On Moon's Surface

See Vantage with Palki Sharma.

See Firstpost Channel on Youtube.

Chandrayaan-3's Pragyan rover has confirmed the presence of sulphur on the lunar south, in a first. It has also detected a number of other elements on the moon's surface. What does the presence of sulphur mean? What does Pragyan plan on finding next? Palki Sharma tells you. 

Chandrayaan-3 is an interesting science vehicle with ISRO.

Pragyan is sure a lunar rover that forms part of Chandrayaan-3, a lunar mission developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation. A previous iteration of the rover was launched as part of Chandrayaan-2 on 22 July 2019 and was destroyed with its lander, Vikram, when it crashed on the Moon on 6 September.

Pragyaan Rover is from India. The Moon Mission is exciting to find different elements like Sulphur and Oxygen.

Sulfur (S) is also spelled sulphur. This is a nonmetallic chemical element belonging to the oxygen group (Group 16 [VIa] of the periodic table), one of the most reactive of the elements. Pure sulfur is a tasteless, odourless, brittle solid that is pale yellow in colour, a poor conductor of electricity, and insoluble in water.

Group 16 or VIA of the extended form of periodic table consists of six elements oxygen (O), sulphur (S). selenium (Se), tellurium (Te), polonium (Po) and ununhexium (Uuh)". This family is known as oxygen family. These (except polonium and ununhexium) are the ore forming elements and thus called chalcogens.

India moon landing: Chandrayaan-3 successfully lands on lunar surface

India moon landing: Chandrayaan-3 successfully lands on lunar surface

Global News on Youtube has the story.

The moon received a new visitor from planet Earth on Wednesday as India staked a bold new claim in the global space race.

India’s spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 safely landed on the surface of the moon on Wednesday, closer to the moon’s unexplored south pole.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi watched the landing from South Africa, where he is attending the BRICS summit. He congratulated the whole nation and mentioned that India’s successful moon mission is not just India’s alone, this success belongs to all humanity. He added, “ We can all aspire for the moon, and beyond.”

This was India's second attempt to land a spacecraft on the moon and comes less than a week after Russia's Luna-25 mission failed to accomplish the same goal. 

Chandrayaan-3 is certainly the third Indian lunar exploration mission under the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Chandrayaan programme. It consists of a lander named Vikram and a rover named Pragyan, similar to those of the Chandrayaan-2 mission. The propulsion module carried the lander and rover configuration to lunar orbit in preparation for a powered descent by the lander.

Chandrayaan-3 was launched on 14 July 2023. The spacecraft entered lunar orbit on 5 August, and the lander touched down in the lunar south pole region on 23 August 2023 at 18:02 IST, making India the fourth country to successfully land on the Moon, and the first to do so near the lunar south pole.

The Moon is certainly Earth's only natural satellite. Its diameter is about one-quarter of Earth's (comparable to the width of Australia), making it the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet. It is larger than all known dwarf planets in the Solar System. The Moon is a planetary-mass object with a differentiated rocky body, making it a satellite planet under the geophysical definitions of the term. It lacks any significant atmosphere, hydrosphere, or magnetic field. Its surface gravity is about one-sixth of Earth's at 0.1654 g—Jupiter's moon Io is the only satellite in the Solar System known to have a higher surface gravity and density.

The Moon really orbits Earth at an average distance of 384,400 km (238,900 mi), or about 30 times Earth's diameter. Its gravitational influence is the main driver of Earth's tides and very slowly lengthens Earth's day. The Moon's orbit around Earth has a sidereal period of 27.3 days. During each synodic period of 29.5 days, the amount of the Moon's Earth-facing surface that is illuminated by the Sun varies from none up to nearly 100%, resulting in lunar phases that form the basis for the months of a lunar calendar. The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, which means that the length of a full rotation of the Moon on its own axis causes its same side (the near side) to always face Earth, and the somewhat longer lunar day is the same as the synodic period. Due to cyclical shifts in perspective (libration), 59% of the lunar surface is visible from Earth.

Lunar Orbitor Chandrayaan 3 - How it Works

Lunar Orbitor Chandrayaan 3 How it Works #3d

AiTelly on Youtube has the story.

Presenting the Billion Dollar Question: Why did, it require 40 days, for the Chandra yaan-3 Lunar Exploration mission to reach the Southern pole of the Moon?

In contrast, China's Chang'e 2, launched in 2010, only took four days to cover the distance between Earth and the Moon.

The Soviet Union's Luna-1, the pioneering unmanned mission that came close to the Moon, accomplished the journey in a mere 36 hours.

Even Apollo 11's command module, Columbia, which carried three astronauts, reached the Moon in just slightly over four days.

Well, the I S R O program, has a budget of just $75 million , which is the main reason they have to use the ingenious method to lower cost by implementing the gravitational pull of the moon and the earth, to get to it's destination because of it's Less powerful rockets.

The Chinese Chang e 2 cost around $219 Million, adjusted to inflation, it's over $316 million

The Soviet Union Luna 1 in the 1960s cost around $200 million, when adjusted to inflation.

The estimated cost of the Soviet Union, Luna program in 1964 was , 6 to $10 billion.

And the most Ambitious program, Apollo 11! cost a staggering $25 Billion, during the 1960s and when adjusted to present-day, inflation it’s around $200 Billion.

Chandrayaan-3 is certainly the third Indian lunar exploration mission under the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Chandrayaan programme. It consists of a lander named Vikram and a rover named Pragyan, similar to those of the Chandrayaan-2 mission. The propulsion module carried the lander and rover configuration to lunar orbit in preparation for a powered descent by the lander.

Chandrayaan-3 was launched on 14 July 2023. The spacecraft entered lunar orbit on 5 August, and the lander touched down in the lunar south pole region on 23 August 2023 at 18:02 IST, making India the fourth country to successfully land on the Moon, and the first to do so near the lunar south pole.

In Canada: "India rice ban" - Here's what the restrictions on all non-basmati rice exports means for Canada

CTV News has the story on Youtube.

A sweeping ban from India on rice exports prompted panic buying across Canada. While shortages have been noted at some grocery stores, experts say stockpiling is unnecessary.

Cyclone Biparjoy: India and Pakistan on alert before landfall

DW News on Youtube has the story.

The coastal regions of India and Pakistan are on high alert as Cyclone Biparjoy is expected to make landfall by Thursday evening.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the cyclone is moving at a speed of 145 kilometers per hour (90 miles per hour) and is projected to make landfall near Jakhau port in the Kutch district of Gujarat on Thursday.

Evacuation drives, disaster preparedness, closing of ports, suspension of fishing activities and diversion and cancellation of flights and trains have been ongoing in both nations.

The so-called Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Biparjoy is a long-lived, powerful tropical cyclone that formed over the east-central Arabian Sea and made landfall near the India-Pakistan border. The third depression and the second cyclonic storm of the 2023 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, Biparjoy originated from a depression that was first noted by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on 6 June, before intensifying into a cyclonic storm. The cyclone steadily weakened due to deep flaring convection. Biparjoy accelerated northeastward, strengthening to a Category 3-equivalent tropical cyclone and to a extremely severe cyclonic storm.

India train crash: Signal error caused 275 deaths, hundreds of injuries

Global News on Youtube has the story.

The train derailment in eastern India that killed 275 people and injured hundreds was caused by an error in the electronic signaling system that led a train to wrongly change tracks and crash into a freight train, officials said on Sunday.

Jaya Verma Sinha, a senior railway official, said the preliminary investigations revealed that a signal was given to the high-speed Coromandel Express to run on the main track line, but the signal later changed, and the train instead entered an adjacent loop line where it rammed into a freight loaded with iron ore.

The collision flipped Coromandel Express’s coaches onto another track, causing the incoming Yesvantpur-Howrah Express from the opposite side also to derail, she said.

Authorities worked to clear the mangled wreckage of the two passenger trains that derailed Friday night in Balasore district in Odisha state in one of the country’s deadliest rail disasters in decades.

Classification of railway accidents is interesting:

Classification of railway accidents, both in terms of cause and effect, is certainly a valuable aid in studying rail (and other) accidents to help to prevent similar ones occurring in the future. Systematic investigation for over 150 years has led to the railways' excellent safety record (compared, for example, with road transport).

Ludwig von Stockert (1913) proposed a classification of accidents by their effects (consequences); e.g. -on-collisions, rear-end collisions, derailments. Schneider and Mase (1968) proposed an additional classification by causes; e.g. driver's errors, signalmen's errors, mechanical faults. Similar categorisations had been made by implication in previous books e.g. Rolt (1956), but Stockert's and Schneider/Mase's are more systematic and complete. With minor changes, they represent best knowledge.

Classification of rail accidents by effects:

Collisions with trains:

- Head-on collision

- Rear-end collision

- Slanting collision

Collisions with buffer stops (overrunning end of track)

Collisions with obstructions on the track (may also cause derailment)

- Collision with landslips (in cuttings)

Derailments:

By location:

- Plain track

- Curves

- Junctions

Other:

- Fires, explosions and release of hazardous chemicals (including sabotage/terrorism)

- People falling from trains, collisions with people on tracks

Classification of rail accidents by causes:

Drivers' errors:

- Passing signals at danger

- Excessive speed

- Mishandling of the engine (e.g. boiler explosions)

- Failure to check brakes and safety systems as well as sand reserve

- Failure to stop at required positions, e.g. level crossings with defective equipment or shunting movements that lead to occupied tracks.

Signalmen's errors:

- Allowing two trains into same occupied block section

- Incorrect operation of signals, points or token equipment

(Mechanical) failure of rolling stock:

Poor design

Poor maintenance

Undetected damage

Overloading or freight that is not adequately secured.

Fire starting from combustion motors, electric cables or equipment, leaking fuel or cooling oil

Civil engineering failure:

Track (permanent way) faults

Bridge and tunnel collapses

Poor track or junction layout

Acts of other people:

Other railway personnel (shunters, porters, maintenance personnel, etc.)

Non-railway personnel

Accidental

- Accidental track obstruction e.g. with road vehicles or by working construction vehicles

Deliberate (vandalism, terrorism, suicide, extortion, sabotage)

Deliberate track obstruction, e.g. with road vehicles or (heavy) objects

Intentional damage to infrastructure like tracks, points or signals

Level crossing misuse

Trespassing

Natural causes:

Track obstruction or damage by landslides, avalanches, floods, trees

Fog or snow that obscure signals or the current position of the train

Wet leaves (or their remains) making the tracks slippery.

Contributory factors:

Strength of rolling stock

Fire hazards or dangerous goods in the train, in involved road vehicles or the vicinity

Effectiveness of brakes

Inadequate rules

Dozens dead after pedestrian bridge collapses in western India

CBC News: The National shows the story.

At least 81 people are dead in western India after a century-old footbridge packed with sightseers collapsed, sending them into the river below.