The recent crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad has sent shockwaves through the aviation community. As investigators work to determine the cause of the tragedy, a veteran pilot with extensive experience flying the same aircraft has offered valuable insights into potential factors that may have contributed to the disaster.

Speaking exclusively to NDTV, the pilot, who wishes to remain anonymous, highlighted the critical phases of flight, particularly the takeoff, as being the most demanding on the aircraft and crew. "Takeoff is a very dynamic and high-workload phase," the pilot explained. "Everything needs to function perfectly, and the crew must be in perfect sync."

Several possible causes for the crash have been suggested by aviation experts, including technical failure, human error, and environmental factors such as bird strikes. The veteran pilot emphasized that without access to the flight data recorders (black boxes), it's impossible to definitively pinpoint the cause. However, the pilot offered several potential scenarios based on initial reports and available video footage.

One possibility is a misconfiguration of the aircraft's flaps. Flaps are crucial for generating lift at lower speeds during takeoff. "If the flaps are not properly set, the aircraft may struggle to gain sufficient altitude," the pilot noted. "Historically, there have been accidents where improper flap settings were a contributing factor." Newsweek reported that multiple aviation analysts believe that the aircraft's wing flaps were not correctly deployed at the time of takeoff. Alastair Rosenschein, a former British Airways pilot, told Sky News that the footage suggested the flaps were not extended, and "the aircraft would not have been able to maintain flight" under those conditions.

Another potential issue is engine failure. The Dreamliner is a twin-engine aircraft, and a loss of power in one or both engines during takeoff could be catastrophic, especially at low altitudes. A veteran pilot told Deccan Herald that the lift off did not happen properly, largely indicating that there could be an engine issue. "It's a top-of-the-line airplane and both engines having issues raise eyebrows. But, we must admit that exact details are not available,” he pointed out.

Bird strikes are also being considered as a possible factor. Ahmedabad airport is known to have a high incidence of bird strikes. A pilot with extensive knowledge on a variety of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft told Deccan Herald that a bird can get sucked into the engine, damage the fan blades, and cause engine failure.

The Air India flight AI171 crashed minutes after takeoff. According to Newsweek, the Boeing 787-8 crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar five minutes after taking off at 1:38 p.m. The veteran pilot noted that the crew's actions in the final moments were likely focused on controlling the aircraft and attempting to return to the airport. "In such a situation, the pilots would have been dealing with a tremendous amount of stress and time pressure," the pilot said. "Their priority would have been to maintain control and try to find a safe landing spot."

Captain Ehsan Khalid, a veteran Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot and aviation expert, spoke to NDTV and analyzed that the aircraft's landing gear remained down throughout, which should have been up.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) are currently investigating the crash.