Officials of the National Board of Transportation Security of the United States (NTSB) surveyed the Air India plane crash site that killed at least 271 people, the sources said on Sunday, and families continue to wait for the results of DNA profiles to identify carbonized organisms.
Together with the NTSB, the officials of the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States (FAA) were in Ahmedabad, in the state of Gujarat state of the west of India, who runs the site of the accident, said a source with direct knowledge.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 people on board destination to Gatwick airport south London began to lose height seconds after takeoff in Ahmedabad on Thursday, and exploded in a large ball of fire when he reached the buildings below.
All but one on board were declared dead at the worst aviation disaster in the world in a decade. Around 30 people died on the ground.
Air India and the Indian government were analyzing several aspects of the accident, including the problems related to the thrust of the engine, the fins and why the landing train remained open when the plane took off and then lowered.
The Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation, Sean Duffy, said Friday that he was in the process of deploying a FAA and NTSB team to India. Boeing and GE, whose engines were used on the plane, also sent equipment.
“We will take measures in case some recommendation of the NTSBS investigation,” said Duffy.
FAA and NSTB did not immediately respond to Reuters consultations outside regular business hours.
FAA has said that India will direct the investigation, but the NTSB is the official representative of the United States to provide assistance, while FAA provides technical support.
Boeing officials will also analyze several parameters in their inspections, including the landing angle, while investigating the matter, the first source said.
In total, around 10 officials were present on the site on Sunday, even from the NTSB, said the second source.
The Indian aviation regulator has ordered that all Boeing 787 be operated by local carriers to be inspected.
The accident brings a new challenge for Air India, which for years has tried to renew its fleet, and Boeing, which is trying to rebuild public trust after a series of security and production crisis.
In Ahmedabad, doctors struggled to identify bodies that were carbonized in the incident, resorting to dental samples and DNA profiles.
The DNA samples of 32 victims of the accident have been successfully paired, Rajnish Patel, an additional superintendent at the main hospital of the city, said Sunday.
“The bodies for which DNA samples have been paired are given to families with due respect,” he said.
