Take-Off And Landing Too Critical Phases, Say Experts

Hyderabad: Around 80 to 85 per cent of fatal air accidents happen during takeoff or landing, said Air Traffic Controller Rudra Prasad.

“The take-off phase may last only a few minutes but they carry the highest risk because of the low altitude, fast-changing weather and high workload for the pilots,” he told Deccan Chronicle.

Referring to the Boeing Dreamliner’s crash in Ahmedabad, he said the pilots have very little time or height to recover from sudden failures or complications at low altitudes.

Flight instructors also stressed that pilots are regularly trained to handle such emergencies.

A chief flight instructor from Hyderabad said that pilots go through emergency training every six months using simulators. “They practise how to react when something goes wrong like an engine failure, smoke in the cockpit or loss of control. These emergency drills are repeated so often that pilots memorise their first actions, called memory items. Even if they wake up from sleep, they’ll know what to do,” he said.

He added that pilots are trained not just during their initial license phase, but throughout their careers. “Even experienced pilots must pass checks every six months with senior examiners. And before every flight, they review emergency protocols again.”

The Dreamliner crash, he said, appeared to have happened because the situation escalated too quickly. “When accidents happen at low altitude just after takeoff, there’s hardly any time for the pilot to take full control or carry out all recovery steps,” the instructor explained.

He also confirmed that a Mayday call was likely made during the incident, indicating that the pilot attempted to follow emergency procedures.

Another chief instructor said “Pilots are trained for a wide range of emergencies, but not every situation can be managed, especially if all engines are impacted. We must wait for the official investigation to understand what really went wrong today.”

In the past, several show-cause notices were issued to Boeing 787 aircraft operators over various safety-related concerns, including issues related to engine performance and maintenance checks and seven of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft were grounded due to technical issues involving a refueling component, said the sources.