Former DGCA Flight Operations Inspector Captain Prashant Dhalla has cautioned against prematurely attributing the Air India flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad to pilot error. Dhalla suggests the ‘startle effect’ could have played a role in the incident, particularly in light of the preliminary report’s mention of a deployed Ram Air Turbine (RAT). He theorizes that pilots, faced with potential technical issues, may have inadvertently taken actions that contributed to the crash. Dhalla emphasized the need to examine all factors, including potential electrical failures and cockpit confusion, before drawing conclusions. He also highlighted the protective mechanisms on fuel switches and the importance of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) transcript. He noted the critical time constraints faced by the pilots, operating at low altitude while dealing with the emergency and contacting Air Traffic Control (ATC).
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