Air India crash: Bird strike a possible cause as mayday call being probed

Air India Flight AI171, carrying 242 passengers and crew members, was heading to London Gatwick Airport when it crashed shortly after take-off. - Reuters

BENGALURU/SINGAPORE: Investigators will need to understand the nature of a mayday transmission from an Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12, but a possible cause could be a bird strike, preventing the plane from achieving the optimum speed for take-off, aviation experts said.

Aviation professional Hemanth DP told The Straits Times that the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner had a spotless record.