The Indian truth behind the ruins of Takshasila

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        The truth behind the ruins of Takshasila Takshasila (Taxila ) was a vital Buddhist centre from the fifth century B.C. to the Sixth Century A.D. Takshasila illustrates the different stages in the development of a city on the Indus. It included the ancient Neolithic Saraikala mound, the Sirkap fortification (2nd century B.C.) and the town of Sirsukh (1st century A.D.). Central Asian, Persian and Greek influence can be witnessed at Takshasila. (Centre, 2023). Ancient Takshasila was situated at the pivotal junction of South Asia and Central Asia. The common association of the Huns with Takshasila has been the destroyer of the Buddhist structures at Takshasila. The name “Huns” has been associated with atrocities committed against select groups and vandalism, especially by Attila  in Europe. However, no reliable evidence exists of the Alkhan carrying out such atrocities and destruction in the outgoing fourth century. New archaeological research has revealed t...
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Air India B-787 fuel leak, should the crew start APU and increase risk?

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fuel leak
Fuel Leak


What happened?

On 21st August 2017, M/s Air India Ltd Boeing 787-800 aircraft VT-ANE was involved in fuel leak incident during taxi to the runway while operating flight AI - 131 (Mumbai to London). Aircraft started taxiing and after about 02 minutes in the taxi to the Runway 27, fuel imbalance message was displayed to the crew. The crew of M/s Oman Air flight OMA-202, which was taxiing behind AI-131, observed the fuel coming out from the RH wing and reported same to the air traffic controller (ATC) informed AI about the fuel leak immediately. Aircraft stopped on taxiway and crew switched off both the engines. Approximately 1850 Kg of fuel was leaked from the aircraft. No human injury was reported in the incident.

Why did happen?


The exact cause of the fuel leak could not be ascertained. However, it is suspected that the presence of debris, in the Right main tank boost pump outlet check valve, has contributed to the fuel leak.

Should the APU have been started?

The fuel leak from the wing exposes the aircraft to the risk of a fire. The heavy flow of fuel from the wing tanks need a source of ignition and more than the fuel, its the fuel vapours that are susceptible to catching fire. In this scenario, there is a need to look at the fire triangle.

Image result for fire triangle
Fire triangle

In the fire triangle, there is no control over the 2 factors, fuel & oxygen which in this scenario were in abundance. The third element of heat/ignition had to be eliminated. Logically, all engines should have been shut down as soon as possible.

The crew took almost 2min 30 sec to shut down the engines and in the process added another source of heat by starting the Auxillary Power Unit (APU). The APU is a small engine mounted at the tail section and used primarily for supplying air and electricity while the aircraft is on the ground with the engines switched OFF.

Point to ponder

Most airlines follow the procedure of removing all sources of heat and/or ignition. This would mean that all engines and the APU would need to be switched off in order to eliminate the risk.













Comments

  1. vilas shinde29 July 2020 at 10:40

    Unable to open the report

    ReplyDelete
  2. AvoBanter by Amit29 July 2020 at 13:31

    Thanks. Link is working now. https://dgca.gov.in/digigov-portal/Upload?flag=iframeAttachView&attachId=150006152

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ojigy11 November 2021 at 07:22

    I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. I hope you post again soon. Big thanks for the useful info. Delhi to Bangalore Flights Airfare

    ReplyDelete

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The Indian truth behind the ruins of Takshasila

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        The truth behind the ruins of Takshasila Takshasila (Taxila ) was a vital Buddhist centre from the fifth century B.C. to the Sixth Century A.D. Takshasila illustrates the different stages in the development of a city on the Indus. It included the ancient Neolithic Saraikala mound, the Sirkap fortification (2nd century B.C.) and the town of Sirsukh (1st century A.D.). Central Asian, Persian and Greek influence can be witnessed at Takshasila. (Centre, 2023). Ancient Takshasila was situated at the pivotal junction of South Asia and Central Asia. The common association of the Huns with Takshasila has been the destroyer of the Buddhist structures at Takshasila. The name “Huns” has been associated with atrocities committed against select groups and vandalism, especially by Attila  in Europe. However, no reliable evidence exists of the Alkhan carrying out such atrocities and destruction in the outgoing fourth century. New archaeological research has revealed t...
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