India vs Boeing: Crash, cover-up and corporate collusion?

THE comments made (on July 9) by the newly appointed Administrator of US Civil Aviation Administration (equivalent to India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation), Bryan Bedford, on India's Aircraft Accidents Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) ongoing inquiry into the June 12 crash of Air India (AI) Boeing-787 in Ahmedabad seem to be baseless and partisan.Is Bedford resorting to pre-emptive defence to save the Boeing company's 787 twin-engine passenger jet and pressure the Indian establishment? His remarks imply: "Don't try to blame the US-made machine. Prepare an inquiry report to look into your own flying men's role and responsibility to begin with for the accident." The aircraft had crashed within 32 seconds after "lift" from runway 23/05, killing 241 of the 242 aboard and 19 other persons on the ground.But, an Indian may counter Bedford: "Why jump the gun? And why not wait for the Indian government's inquiry report?"Bedford sanctimoniously pontificated on July 24 on the sidelines of the Wisconsin air show that the AI Boeing-787 fatal crash did not appear to be caused by a mechanical issue or an inadvertent movement of the fuel control unit or switches. "We can say with a high level of confidence that it doesn't appear to be a mechanical issue with the Boeing fuel control unit." How does Bedford know for sure or assume to know? The US CAA boss should avoid any controversy on such a serious matter.Bedford would have done well to note what his boss Jennifer Homendy, Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), had said on July 18: "Recent media reports on the AI Boeing crash were premature and speculative."The Indian probe into the crash must be given a fair chance to avoid premature conclusions.My last piece published in this paper on July 9 had hinted at the likelihood that the US state system would not allow Boeing to fail and fall — “The stakes are too high for Boeing and it is bound to go all out to try and prove that its 787 craft, despite killing 270, is an excellent flying machine and that the mishap could be owing to anything or anyone except the manufacturer of the ill-fated aeroplane.”Boeing is too deeply embedded in the US state system's departments, agencies, Wall Street investors and MNCs. Giants have fallen in the past: Anglo-French Concorde, McDonnell Douglas DC10 and British Comet jet in the 1950s. But, Boeing is to move on. So much so that despite Boeing's inordinate delay to produce two 747 Air Force1 for the exclusive use of the US President, Trump, in March, gave it a multibillion-dollar contract to build the "Next Generation" fighter F47 at the expense of combat aircraft specialist Martin Lockheed.Trump's action was reportedly aimed at saving Boeing, which has been facing poor sales, financial results and stock performance in the last five years owing to two 737 MAX crashes, which killed all 346 aboard. The US Justice Department (DOJ) is charging the company more than $1 bn and $445 mn compensations to accident victims’ kin. Boeing avoided the DOJ criminal prosecution by paying cash.Notably, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy had earlier this year admonished Boeing for the Alaska Air incident, saying: "This accident never should have happened."The US FAA, therefore, should take note of the AAIB's preliminary public report on the crashed AI Boeing-787. It says: "Take-off clearance issued 8:07:33 UTC" (Universal Coordinated Time). Aircraft started rolling and smoothly "crossed the take-off decision speed V1 at 153 knots (285.356 km per hour) IAS (Indicated Air Speed); V2 (Take-off safety speed)", lowest aircraft speed indicator reading (ASIR) at which the aeroplane complies with handling criteria associated with climb following one engine failure; and "the Vr speed 155 knots (287.06 kilometres per hour) was achieved at 08:08:35 am." And in another four seconds, "the aircraft air/ground sensors transitioned to air mode, consistent with lift off 08:08:39 hour". AI 171 was airborne and climbing with accelerated speed and thrust to gain altitude to reach its Air Traffic Control designated flight level. From "take-off clearance" to being airborne it's one minute and six seconds.However, exactly after 32 seconds in air, at 08:09:11 hours (Indian Standard Time 1:39:11 pm), "the EAFR recording stopped." AI 171 Boeing 787 perished with 241.And then started a barrage of misleading, speculative, and ill-intentioned propaganda of western media, determined to put the entire blame for the disaster solely on the cockpit crew of two dead men.Western reporting seems to be deliberately ignoring that the entire crash boils down to 32 seconds of the airborne machine coming down with a bang and blast. Understandably, India is peeved and has warned those under the influence of some parties with the vested interest of ensuring that the Ahmedabad Boeing 787 doesn't go the same way as Boeing-737 MAX, which brought the US manufacturer's product quality and reputation to its nadir.Numerous major air disasters have happened in the West. Yet, the West today is unusually perturbed. It is bent on giving its own divine-right-of-king-type verdict — just as it had tried to do earlier when two Boeing-737-MAX killed all 346 passengers and crew aboard in two separate crashes in 2018 and 2019.Every Indian passenger should read the book, "Flying Blind: The 737 MAX Tragedy and Fall of Boeing" (2021) by Peter Robson. The West appears intent on speculative narratives to shield its company and industry. That is because if it is established that the Ahmedabad crash occurred due to a machine malfunction, the manufacturer would have to likely pay over a billion-dollar compensation to the victims' relatives. Hence, the defence mechanism is composing a cacophony to blame the two dead Indian men behind the mangled US machine.Views are personal.Abhijit Bhattacharyya is Life Member, Aeronautical Society Of India.

India vs Boeing: Crash, cover-up and corporate collusion?

Abhijit Bhattacharyya

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