There has been a major update in the probe into the Air India crash, as authorities have identified a potential cause of the plane going down.

Air India's deadly plane crash that killed at least 270 people has triggered a wave of speculation about what led to the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade, but authorities are slowly narrowing down areas of investigation.

An investigation is underway as to what caused an Air India airliner carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members to crash shortly after takeoff on Thursday.