Air India pilots' body calls for new Boeing 787 simulator tests in crash probe

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has written to the Director General of India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) asking for a fresh series of Boeing 787 simulator tests and a re‑examination of evidence related to the deployment of the aircraft’s Ram Air Turbine (RAT) in the Air India Flight AI‑171 crash. The letter, based on a submission from U.S. law firm Beasley Allen representing victims’ families, argues that the AAIB’s preliminary timeline – which places fuel‑system interruption at 08:08:42 UTC and RAT‑generated hydraulic power four to five seconds later – conflicts with simulator data indicating power generation occurs about 18 seconds after fuel interruption. FIP also points to discrepancies in take‑off performance figures, citing simulator‑derived V1 and VR times that differ from the AAIB report. The pilots’ body requests that the AAIB conduct the tests in the presence of an independent observer to verify acceleration profiles, RAT deployment timing, and any possible electrical system anomalies that could have contributed to the accident.