AHMEDABAD, India – July 12, 2025 – A chilling preliminary report released today by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the tragic Air India plane crash of June 12th, which claimed 260 lives, has revealed a critical and perplexing finding: the engine fuel control switches for both engines were moved to the "CUTOFF" position just seconds after the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner lifted off from Ahmedabad. This sudden and unexplained cutoff of fuel supply led to an immediate loss of thrust, sending the London-bound aircraft plummeting into a medical hostel complex near the airport.
The report, a month in the making, has sent shockwaves through the aviation community, as investigators grapple with how such a seemingly deliberate action could have occurred during the most critical phase of flight – takeoff.
The Alarming Sequence of Events
According to the AAIB's preliminary findings, the Air India Flight AI171, carrying 242 people including 12 crew members, became airborne at 1:38:39 PM UTC (6:08:39 PM IST). Just three seconds later, at 1:38:42 PM UTC, as the aircraft reached its maximum recorded airspeed of 180 knots, the fuel cutoff switches for both Engine 1 and Engine 2 transitioned from "RUN" to "CUTOFF" position, one after the other, with a one-second gap.
This abrupt cessation of fuel supply caused the fan rotation speeds (N1 and N2) of both General Electric (GE) engines to plummet. The aircraft, weighing a formidable 213.4 tons (close to its maximum takeoff weight), almost immediately began losing altitude. Airport CCTV footage captured the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) – a backup power source that deploys when main engines fail – activating during the initial climb, a clear indication of a catastrophic power loss.
Adding to the mystery, the cockpit voice recording (CVR) captured a distressed exchange between the two highly experienced pilots. One pilot was heard asking, "Why did you cut off the fuel?" to which the other responded with a bewildered, "I did not do so."
Despite the pilots' desperate attempts to restore power by moving the switches back to the "RUN" position within 14 seconds, it was too late. Engine 1 briefly showed signs of recovery, but Engine 2 failed to regain thrust. At 1:39:05 PM UTC, a "MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY" distress call was issued. Six seconds later, at 1:39:11 PM UTC, the aircraft impacted the ground, disintegrating across a wide area and claiming 260 lives, including many on the ground.
Fuel Switches: Designed for Deliberate Action
Aviation experts are quick to point out that the fuel control switches on a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner are not easily moved by accident. Positioned below the thrust levers, these switches are spring-loaded and require a deliberate action – a pilot must first pull the switch up before moving it from "RUN" to "CUTOFF." This design is a critical safety feature, intended to prevent inadvertent activation.
"No sane pilot would ever turn those switches off in flight, especially not during the climb phase," stated John Nance, a renowned US aviation safety expert, emphasizing the highly improbable nature of an accidental fuel cutoff during takeoff.
The AAIB report noted that the aircraft's maintenance records showed no reported defects pertaining to the fuel control switches since 2023. However, it also highlighted a 2018 Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which warned of a "potential for disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature" on similar Boeing aircraft. Intriguingly, the AAIB report states that Air India had not carried out the suggested inspections, as the FAA advisory was non-mandatory.
The Unanswered Questions
While the preliminary report offers a grim timeline and crucial initial findings, it raises more questions than it answers:
· Human Error or Mechanical Malfunction? The core question remains: was this a case of an unintended human input, a mechanical fault with the switches themselves, or an undetected system malfunction? The cockpit exchange strongly suggests the pilots were as surprised by the fuel cutoff as the investigators.
· The FAA Advisory: Why was the non-mandatory FAA advisory not acted upon by Air India? Could a known, albeit "advisory," vulnerability in the fuel control switch locking mechanism have played a role?
· The Rapid Succession: What could cause both engine fuel switches to move to "CUTOFF" in quick succession, just one second apart, when they are designed for individual, deliberate action?
· Crew Resource Management: The investigation will undoubtedly delve deeper into the cockpit procedures and crew resource management, analyzing the pilots' actions and communication in the critical seconds before the crash. Both pilots were experienced, with the commander having over 15,000 flying hours.
Air India, in a statement, acknowledged the receipt of the preliminary report and reiterated its commitment to "fully cooperate with the AAIB and other authorities" in the ongoing investigation. The airline also expressed continued solidarity with the families affected by the tragedy.
The AAIB has stated that the investigation is ongoing and will involve comprehensive wreckage analysis, post-mortem reports, and detailed component inspections. At this preliminary stage, no definitive cause has been determined, and no immediate safety recommendations have been issued for Boeing 787-8 or GEnx-1B engine operators.
The final report, which could take months or even years, will be crucial in providing answers to the families of the victims and in shaping future aviation safety protocols, particularly concerning the design and operation of critical cockpit controls. The world of aviation holds its breath, awaiting clarity on this devastating and perplexing tragedy.
0 Comments
What do you think about this post ? Share below