Fuel switches cut off before Air India crash, preliminary report says
The report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, published late on Friday, said the jet was carrying 54,200kg of fuel, which was within the 'allowable limits'.
The report then said: 'The aircraft achieved the maximum recorded airspeed of 180 Knots IAS at about 08:08:42 UTC and immediately thereafter, the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 sec. The Engine N1 and N2 began to decrease from their take-off values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off.
'In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so.'
Referring to data recovered from the plane's two Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFR), it went on: 'As per the EAFR, the Engine 1 fuel cutoff switch transitioned from CUTOFF to RUN at about 08:08:52 UTC. The APU Inlet Door began opening at about 08:08:54 UTC, consistent with the APU Auto Start logic.
'Thereafter, at 08:08:56 UTC the Engine 2 fuel cutoff switch also transitions from CUTOFF to RUN. When fuel control switches are moved from CUTOFF to RUN while the aircraft is inflight, each engine's full authority dual engine control (FADEC) automatically manages a relight and thrust recovery sequence of ignition and fuel introduction.'
While the engines started to recover, one of the pilots transmitted 'mayday, mayday, mayday' before the jet was observed by air traffic control to crash outside the airport.
Some 241 people on board were killed in the crash and one passenger survived, while 19 other people also died and 67 were seriously injured.
The plane crashed and struck a medical college hostel in a residential part of Ahmedabad.
The report states: 'The aircraft was destroyed due to impact with the buildings on the ground and subsequent fire.
'A total of five buildings were impacted and suffered major structural and fire damages.'
The only surviving passenger was Briton Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who previously told The Sun it was a 'miracle' he was alive but felt 'terrible' he could not save his brother Ajay.
Both pilots, who were based at Mumbai and had arrived in Ahmedabad the previous day, had taken an 'adequate rest period' before the flight.
The crew, who had been given a breath analyser test earlier, were recorded as fit to operate the flight.
No significant bird activity was spotted near the flight path and the aircraft started to lose altitude before crossing the airport perimeter wall.
Both engines were retrieved from the wreckage and quarantined at a hangar in the nearby airport.
Investigators have identified 'components of interest for further examinations,' the report says.
Fuel samples that were taken from tanks used to refuel the aircraft were 'satisfactory'.
The report added: 'Very limited amount of fuel samples could be retrieved from the APU filter and Refuel/Jettison valve of the left wing.
'The testing of these samples will be done at a suitable facility capable of carrying out the test with the limited available quantity.'
Statements have been taken from Mr Ramesh and witnesses by the investigators, who will also be looking at the post-mortem reports of the crew and the passengers.
This is being done 'to corroborate aeromedical findings with the engineering appreciation,' the report adds.
An Air India spokesman said: 'Air India stands in solidarity with the families and those affected by the AI171 accident. We continue to mourn the loss and are fully committed to providing support during this difficult time.'
The spokesman added: 'Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators.
'We continue to fully co-operate with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and other authorities as their investigation progresses.
'Given the active nature of the investigation, we are unable to comment on specific details and refer all such enquiries to the AAIB.'
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Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
Disaster report for Air India suggests fuel switches turned off before crash
Disaster report for Air India suggests fuel switches turned off before crash The crash resulted in the death of more than 240 people on board, with only one passenger surviving On June 12, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff (Image: IJAY PATANI/AFP via Getty Images ) Fuel sources to the Air India jet's engines were allegedly cut off before the tragic crash that caused over 240 deaths last month. A preliminary investigation indicates that these fuel disconnections appeared to happen without either pilot shutting them off. On June 12 last month, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff, becoming one of the most deadly accidents involving British nationals. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's report, released late yesterday, confirmed that the aircraft was carrying 54,200kg of fuel, which falls within the 'allowable limits'. Despite this, the report then explained: "The aircraft achieved the maximum recorded airspeed of 180 Knots IAS at about 08:08:42 UTC and immediately thereafter, the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 sec. The Engine N1 and N2 began to decrease from their take-off values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off. "In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so." Based on data retrieved from the aircraft's two Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFR), it continued: "As per the EAFR, the Engine 1 fuel cutoff switch transitioned from CUTOFF to RUN at about 08:08:52 UTC. The APU Inlet Door began opening at about 08:08:54 UTC, consistent with the APU Auto Start logic. "Thereafter, at 08:08:56 UTC the Engine 2 fuel cutoff switch also transitions from CUTOFF to RUN. When fuel control switches are moved from CUTOFF to RUN while the aircraft is inflight, each engine's full authority dual engine control (FADEC) automatically manages a relight and thrust recovery sequence of ignition and fuel introduction." As the engines started to recover, one pilot sent a 'mayday, mayday, mayday' distress signal before the jet was seen crashing outside the airport by air traffic control. The crash caused the deaths of some 241 people on board, with only one passenger surviving. Additionally, 19 more people died during the crash, and 67 were seriously injured. Article continues below The aircraft crashed into a residential neighbourhood in Ahmedabad, striking a medical college hostel. The report states: "The aircraft was destroyed due to impact with the buildings on the ground and subsequent fire. A total of five buildings were impacted and suffered major structural and fire damages." The sole survivor among the passengers was Briton Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who told The Sun it was a 'miracle' he survived but expressed feeling 'terrible' about not being able to save his brother Ajay. Both pilots, based in Mumbai and arriving in Ahmedabad the previous day, had taken an 'adequate rest period' before the flight. The crew, who had previously undergone a breathalyser test, were confirmed fit to fly. No significant bird activity was seen near the flight path, and the aircraft started descending before passing the airport perimeter wall. Both engines were recovered from the wreckage and placed in quarantine at a hangar nearby. Investigators have identified 'components of interest for further examinations,' the report says. Fuel samples also collected from the aircraft refuelling tanks were considered 'satisfactory'. The report added: "Very limited amount of fuel samples could be retrieved from the APU filter and Refuel/Jettison valve of the left wing. "The testing of these samples will be done at a suitable facility capable of carrying out the test with the limited available quantity." Investigators have collected statements from Mr. Ramesh and witnesses, and they will also review the post-mortem reports of the crew and passengers. Article continues below This is being done 'to corroborate aeromedical findings with the engineering appreciation,' the report adds. An Air India spokesman said: "Air India stands in solidarity with the families and those affected by the AI171 accident. We continue to mourn the loss and are fully committed to providing support during this difficult time.' The spokesman added: "Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. We continue to fully co-operate with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and other authorities as their investigation progresses. "Given the active nature of the investigation, we are unable to comment on specific details and refer all such enquiries to the AAIB."
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
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Revealed: Air India pilots' final words to each other before crash that killed 241 people on board - which may hold vital clue to cause of horrific accident
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Mayday!' The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is thought to have lost power when the fuel cutoff switches almost simultaneously flipped, starving the engines of fuel, according to the report by Indian accident investigators. However, several questions remains as lever-lock fuel switches are designed to be 'highly reliable', as they are constructed to stop unintentional activation, according to investigators. The lever has to be pulled upwards to be unlocked, before they can be flipped, and they also have further protective guard brackets to safeguard against any bumps and nudges. 'It would be almost impossible to pull both switches with a single movement of one hand, and this makes accidental deployment unlikely,' a Canada-based air accidents investigator told the BBC. The plane momentarily disappeared from view behind trees and buildings before a massive fireball erupted on the horizon in this horrifying clip John Cox, U.S. aviation safety expert, said a pilot would not be able to accidentally move the fuel switches that feed the engines. 'You can't bump them and they move,' he said. The plane immediately began to lose thrust and sink down moments after setting off to London, and exploded into a fireball after smashing into a hostel on the ground in Gujarat, killing all but one on board. Investigators' early assessments indicate no apparent fault with the Boeing or its engines, suggesting that Boeing and engine maker GE had no apparent responsibility for the accident. But the report does not say how the switch - which is used to start or shut down the engines and are typically left on during flight - could have flipped to the cutoff position. Investigators are currently focusing on a previous Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) by the US Federal Aviation Administration in 2018, which said some Boeing 737 fuel control switches were put into the aircrafts with the locking feature disengaged. Although the problem was never deemed unsafe, an Airworthiness Directive (AD), which is legally enforceable, was issued to correct the problem with some of the levers. Boeing 787-8 aircrafts, as well as the Air India plane, use the same design switch. And due to the SAIB being recommended, Air India did not carry out advised inspections. The number of fatalities is not yet known but rescuers said at least 30 bodies have so far been recovered from a building At the crash site, both fuel switches were found in the run position with the report detailing there had been indications of both engines relighting before the low-altitude crash. All pilots and crew had passed breathalyser and were deemed fit to fly, according to the report, which detailed how both Sabharwal and Kunder had enough rest before taking to the skies. An ex-investigator with India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) speculated whether the switch may have tripped due to possible issues with electrics in the plane's control unit. He told the BBC: 'Can the fuel cut-off switches be triggered electronically by the plane's electronic control unit without movement by the pilot? If the fuel cut-off switches tripped electronically, then it's a cause for concern.' The report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, published late on Friday, said the jet was carrying 54,200kg of fuel, which was within the 'allowable limits'. Fuel samples retrieved from the aircraft's refuelling were also deemed 'satisfactory'. 'The aircraft achieved the maximum recorded airspeed of 180 Knots IAS at about 08:08:42 UTC and immediately thereafter, the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 sec,' the report said. 'The Engine N1 and N2 began to decrease from their take-off values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off. 'In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so.' Rescuers work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June12, 2025 Referring to data recovered from the plane's two Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFR), it continues: 'As per the EAFR, the Engine 1 fuel cutoff switch transitioned from CUTOFF to RUN at about 08:08:52 UTC. The APU Inlet Door began opening at about 08:08:54 UTC, consistent with the APU Auto Start logic. 'Thereafter at 08:08:56 UTC the Engine 2 fuel cutoff switch also transitions from CUTOFF to RUN. 'When fuel control switches are moved from CUTOFF to RUN while the aircraft is inflight, each engine's full authority dual engine control (FADEC) automatically manages a relight and thrust recovery sequence of ignition and fuel introduction.' Flipping to cutoff almost immediately cuts the engines, and is most often used to turn engines off once a plane has arrived at its airport gate and in certain emergency situations, such as an engine fire. The preliminary report does not indicate there was any emergency requiring an engine cutoff. The new findings appear to tally with theories reportedly put forward on the US side of the investigation, which also noted that the switches controlling fuel flow to the aircraft's twin engines were turned off shortly after takeoff. It remains unclear why they were turned off, and investigators have been left wondering whether it was deliberate, accidental or corrected too late. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, one potential sign that the switches were off was the deployment of the plane's emergency power system, a ram air turbine or RAT. The RAT usually comes into action when both engines lose power or if pressure in all three hydraulic systems are critically low - both essential components of keeping a flight going. The landing gear was also found in a downward position. Shawn Pruchnicki, a former airline accident investigator and aviation expert at Ohio State University said: 'The deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) strongly supports the conclusion that both engines had failed' He believes the pilot at the helm of the aircraft's wheel had no time to think. According to investigators, crew tried to act but the crash transpired to quickly. If the preliminary findings hold, that would exonerate the Dreamliner's manufacturer Boeing and engine developer GE Aerospace. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said: 'At this stage of investigation, there are no recommended actions to Boeing 787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers.' The agency, an office under India's civil aviation ministry, is leading the probe into the world's deadliest aviation accident in a decade. Last month, the tragic crash claimed the lives of 169 Indian passengers on board, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian, as well as 12 crew members and left only one survivor - British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40. At least 19 people were also killed on the ground as the doomed Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner came down in a residential area moments after takeoff. Javed Ali Syed, a hotel manager at the Best Western Kensington Olympia Hotel and his wife Mariam were passengers on the fallen Air India Flight 171 this morning Air India, the nation's oldest airline, has been trying to revitalise its operations after several years under government control. The airline company says Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was flying the plane, had more than 10,000 hours of experience on wide-body jets, while co-pilot Clive Kunder had logged over 3,400 hours. The crash marked the first fatal incident involving a Dreamliner and was a major setback for Boeing, which is facing ongoing scrutiny over its aircraft safety standards. The US National Transportation Safety Board is assisting with the Indian-led investigation, while the Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing and GE Aerospace are providing technical support. It declined to comment on the release of the report. Reports indicate there have been tensions building between American and Indian officials. One of the biggest points of contention is the delay in accessing and analysing the plane's black boxes. The Americans are not pleased with the slow pace at which data is being extracted from the cockpit voice and data recorders. Pictures have been published on local media of crew members who were on board the Air India flight The US team at one point even considered pulling out of the probe before eventually deciding to carry on. The US investigators have since returned home. The Dreamliner, which was first delivered to Air India in 2012, has been used for many international routes. Although officials have initially focused on the fuel control switches, they have cautioned nothing has yet been ruled out yet. Sole survivor Vishwash Kumar Ramesh had been in the country on a business trip with his brother Ajaykumar, 35, before they boarded the doomed flight travelling from Ahmedabad to Gatwick on Thursday. In what has been described as a miracle, Viswash - seated in 11A by the exit - survived, but his sibling who was sat on the other side of the aisle in seat 11J perished in the fireball explosion. Before the discovery of the British survivor, authorities said that they believed no one had escaped the flight alive. Eleven of those on board were children, including two newborns. The Boeing jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat at around 1.40pm (0810 GMT), officials said. Ahmedabad, the main city of India's Gujarat state, is home to around eight million people, and the busy airport is surrounded by densely packed residential areas. Preliminary flight tracking data from flightradar24 reveals the plane reached an altitude of just 625ft after takeoff - a height far below standard for a commercial aircraft several minutes into departure. According to data logs, recorded at 30-second intervals, the plane remained on the ground or was taxiing slowly for over four minutes after it first registered on public trackers. The plane took off and reached 625ft, but no further gains in altitude were recorded before the crash. An Air India spokesman said: 'Air India stands in solidarity with the families and those affected by the AI171 accident. We continue to mourn the loss and are fully committed to providing support during this difficult time.' The spokesman added: 'Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. 'We continue to fully co-operate with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and other authorities as their investigation progresses. 'Given the active nature of the investigation, we are unable to comment on specific details and refer all such enquiries to the AAIB.'
