Did a bird strike lead to Ahmedabad plane disaster? This is what experts have to say

AHMEDABAD: Was the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad caused by a bird strike? Experts say that such a possibility cannot be ruled out, considering the aircraft’s speed at the time of the accident. According to former senior pilot Captain Saurabh Bhatnagar, the bird strike might have prevented the aircraft from reaching the required take-off speed, potentially leading to the crash.

“Due to a bird strike (possibly multiple birds), it appeared that both engines lost power. The take-off looked perfect. But just before retracting the landing gear, the aircraft began to descend. This typically happens when there’s a loss of engine power,” he said.

"It should be found why the aircraft couldn’t gain sufficient speed to ascend. If there were multiple bird strikes during take-off, an accident can occur within 6–7 minutes. Though the aircraft was 11 years old, it didn’t appear to have any technical malfunction. There is a residential area beyond the airport, which increases the likelihood of bird activity in the vicinity. Let’s wait for more details to emerge,” aviation expert Sanjay Lazar said.

The pilot had issued a ‘Mayday’ call just before the crash, indicating they were aware of the impending disaster. A Mayday call is made when an emergency landing is imminent. Reports suggest that the aircraft crashed soon after the distress signal was sent in Ahmedabad. According to a statement from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Air Traffic Control (ATC) did not receive any response from the aircraft after the Mayday call.