The Air India plane crash that killed 260 people in Ahmedabad last month was caused by a sudden cutoff of fuel to both engines. This shocking detail was revealed in the preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
The crash involved flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. It was flying from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. Just 30 seconds after takeoff, the plane slammed into the BJ Medical College hostel premises, killing 241 out of 242 passengers. Nineteen people on the ground also died.
The AAIB’s 15-page report, released last night, shows that both engines lost power because their fuel switches were moved from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ mode — one after the other, just a second apart. This happened within seconds of lift-off.
One pilot can be heard in the cockpit voice recording asking the other, “Why did you cut the fuel?” The other pilot replied, “I didn’t.”
This part of the report has shocked many. It raises serious questions about what happened in the cockpit.
Although the switches were turned back on later, one engine had already started to fail. The plane could not recover and crashed soon after.
According to the AAIB, both pilots were well-rested before the flight. There were no problems with the fuel quality either. Fuel samples taken from the bowsers and tanks were tested and found to be fine by the DGCA lab.
So far, there are no action recommendations for other Boeing 787-8 planes or GEnx-1B engine operators. But the probe is still going on. More evidence is being collected from various sources.
Air India, meanwhile, says it is fully cooperating with the investigation. In a statement, the airline said it is working with regulators and other experts to find out what exactly went wrong.
The aviation world is now watching closely. The final report may bring more answers — and even more questions.
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