Air India Crash: Preliminary Report Reveals Critical Fuel Cut, Deepens Mystery

A preliminary report into last month’s devastating Air India Flight AI171 crash in Ahmedabad, India, has revealed a critical and baffling detail: fuel supply to both engines was deliberately cut just moments after takeoff. The tragic incident on June 12, which killed 242 people on board and 19 on the ground, remains shrouded in mystery despite this key finding from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

The report states that the plane’s flight data recorder showed both engines’ fuel switches were moved from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ position within a second of each other as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner ascended. Chilling audio from the black box captures one pilot questioning the other about flipping the switches, who denies doing so. While the switches were quickly reset, it was too late to avert the catastrophic descent.

Aviation experts are grappling with the findings, particularly the deliberate nature of the switch activation. Geoffrey Dell, an air safety specialist, highlighted the intricate, two-action process required for each switch, making accidental activation highly improbable. He described a deliberate act post-takeoff as ‘bizarre’ with ‘no scenario on the planet where you’d do that immediately after lift-off.’ The report also noted a 2018 FAA bulletin about potential disengagement of fuel control switch locking features, though it wasn’t deemed an unsafe condition.

Despite identifying the immediate cause of the power loss, the preliminary report leaves the crucial ‘how’ and ‘why’ unanswered. India’s Civil Aviation Minister, Ram Mohan Naidu, has urged against premature conclusions as the full investigation is expected to take months. The world awaits further clarity on the deadliest aviation accident in a decade.

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