Preliminary Report: Air India Crash Caused by Engine Fuel Cutoff, Pilots Deny Action

India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has released a preliminary report into the fatal Air India flight AI171 crash from June, revealing that the engines’ fuel supply was cut off just moments before the plane careened back to earth. The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which tragically crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport, resulted in 260 fatalities, including those on board and individuals on the ground.

According to the report, investigators successfully retrieved data from the aircraft’s black boxes, including cockpit voice recordings. These recordings indicate that the fuel control switches in the cockpit were moved from the “RUN” to the “CUTOFF” position while the aircraft was airborne and reaching an airspeed of 180 knots, effectively starving the engines of fuel.

A critical detail from the cockpit voice recording reveals one pilot asking the other why they initiated the cutoff, to which the other pilot responded, denying the action. Although the switches were reportedly reversed back to the “RUN” position shortly after, and the engines began a relight sequence, the recovery was insufficient to prevent the catastrophic descent.

Aviation safety experts highlight that such fuel cutoff switches on a Boeing 787 are designed with protective mechanisms to prevent accidental activation, making an unintentional cutoff “extremely rare.” The report also noted the deployment of the Ram Air Turbine, an emergency power source, during the plane’s initial climb, signaling an in-flight emergency before it lost altitude and crashed into a hospital hostel.

The ongoing investigation continues to probe the circumstances surrounding the actions of the flight’s experienced 56-year-old captain and 32-year-old first officer. Preliminary findings confirmed that other factors, such as equipment settings, fuel quality, takeoff weight, and flap settings, were within normal limits for takeoff. Air India has acknowledged receipt of the report and reiterated its commitment to cooperating with authorities and providing support to the families affected by the tragedy.

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