Air India Pilots Made Fatal Error as Probe Reveals Plane's Fuel Supply Was Cut Off Moments Before It Crashed Killing More Than 270 People
The pilots of the plane were heard questioning one another about whether the plane's fuel supply had been turned off just moments before the aircraft crashed, according to the report. the Boeing 787 Dreamliner likely lost power when the fuel cutoff switches were flipped almost simultaneously, cutting off fuel to the engines. This meant the aircraft began losing thrust and started sinking moments after taking off from Ahmedabad for London, according to Indian accident investigators.
Pilots Made Major Blunder
It is unclear how or why the switch was flipped, cutting off fuel to the engines and causing the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner to rapidly lose thrust and crash on June 12. "The Engine N1 and N2 began to decrease from their take-off values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off," the report said.
The pilots of Air India Flight 171 may have played a role in the tragic crash, as the fuel cutoff switch is not something that can be easily flipped by mistake, according to The US Sun.
These switches are typically used to shut down both engines simultaneously — either after arriving at the airport gate or in emergency situations that demand an immediate shutdown.
However, the investigation report by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau found no evidence of any emergency prior to the crash that would justify using the fuel cutoff.
The crash also claimed the lives of 19 additional people on the ground when the aircraft crashed into a medical college in Ahmedabad, India.
Cockpit Audio Reveals Everything
The report cited cockpit audio in which one pilot questioned the other about why the fuel had been shut off. The other pilot responded, claiming he hadn't done it. Moments later, one of the pilots issued a panicked mayday call before the aircraft went down, though the report did not identify which pilot made the distress call.
Investigators at the crash site found that the fuel cutoff switches were in the "run" position, suggesting that both engines restarted shortly before the impact.
The experienced flight crew—a captain and a first officer—had a combined total of 19,000 hours of flight experience.
U.S. aviation expert Anthony Brickhouse said that the ongoing investigation will likely focus on why the switches moved in a manner that doesn't align with standard flight operations.
"Did they move on their own or did they move because of the pilots? And if they were moved because of a pilot, why?" Brickhouse said.
Both black boxes from the ill-fated flight — containing the cockpit voice recordings and flight data — were recovered from the debris a few days after the accident.
Investigators will now analyze the data to uncover any additional factors that may have led to the crash.
British citizen Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was the only person to survive the Air India tragedy, which also claimed the life of one of his brothers, who had been seated just a few rows away.
The 40-year-old, bruised and shaken, was seen limping away from the wreckage, still holding onto his boarding pass. "When I opened my eyes, I realized I was alive," he said from his hospital bed the day after the tragedy.
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AsiaOne
13 hours ago
- AsiaOne
What are the fuel switches at the centre of the Air India crash probe?, Asia News
NEW DELHI - The preliminary report from investigators probing the Air India crash that killed 260 people showed that seconds after takeoff, the Boeing 787 plane's engine fuel control switches were switched off briefly, starving them of fuel. Below are a few facts about the switches, their functions in the aircraft and their movements on the Air India flight. What are fuel switches? They are switches that regulate fuel flow into a plane's engines. They are used by pilots to start or shut down engines on the ground or to manually shut down or restart engines if an engine failure occurs during a flight. Aviation experts say a pilot would not be able to accidentally move the fuel switches that feed the engines. But if moved, the effect would be immediate, cutting off engine power. There are independent power systems and wiring for the fuel cutoff switches and the fuel valves controlled by those switches, according to US aviation safety expert John Cox. Where are the fuel switches located? The two fuel control switches on a 787, in Air India's case equipped with two GE engines, are located below the thrust levers. The switches are spring-loaded to remain in position. To change one from run to cutoff, a pilot has to first pull the switch up and then move it from run to cutoff or vice versa. There are two modes: "CUTOFF" and "RUN". What happened on the fatal Air India flight? According to the flight recorder, a few seconds after takeoff, switches for both engines transitioned to "CUTOFF" from "RUN" one after another with a time gap of one second. As a result, the engines began to lose power. One pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel. "The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report said. It did not identify which remarks were made by the flight's captain and which by the first officer. Seconds later, the switches flipped back to "RUN", according to the preliminary report. Both fuel control switches were found in the "RUN" position at the crash site, it said. When fuel control switches are moved from "CUTOFF" to "RUN" while the aircraft is in flight, each engine's control system automatically manages a relight and thrust recovery sequence of ignition and fuel introduction, the report said. "No sane pilot would ever turn those switches off in flight," especially as the plane is just starting to climb, US aviation safety expert John Nance said. [[nid:719732]]
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Fuel was cut off during take-off: Preliminary report of Air India crash
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox In the cockpit voice recording, the report says, 'one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so'. – The fuel control switch went off within three seconds of take-off, leading both engines to shut down moments before the Air India Boeing 787 London-bound flight crashed in Ahmedabad, said a preliminary report by the Indian government. The 15-page report was released by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) late on July 11, detailing findings from its probe into the plane crash on June 12 that killed 260 people – 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 individuals on the ground. Only one passenger miraculously survived. The crux of the preliminary report is its revelation that 'the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cut-off switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 second'. In the cockpit voice recording, the report says, 'one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so'. Within 32 seconds of taking off, the plane had crashed into buildings just outside the Sardar Vallabhai Patel airport, including a medical college hostel. These details were retrieved from an Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR), commonly known as the black box, in the forward section of the plane. The rear black box was substantially damaged, and no data could be downloaded. The report lists damage to the aircraft parts and data from flight recorders. It does not ascertain reasons for the crash, or who is responsible for it. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World US slaps 30% tariffs on EU and Mexico; EU warns of countermeasures Singapore S'pore shows what's possible when digital innovation is matched with purpose: UK foreign secretary Singapore Casual racism should be tackled by getting more people to understand it is not acceptable: David Neo Singapore Pulling back the curtain: A backstage look at the 2025 NDP show segment Singapore $3 cashback for hawker centre meals and shopping at heartland stores with DBS PayLah initiative Singapore Body of 62-year-old man recovered from waters off East Coast Park Asia Aerobridge hits Qantas plane at Sydney Airport, damaging engine, delaying flight The possibility of one of the pilots inadvertently hitting the switch off is remote, said Mr Hemanth DP, chief executive of the Hyderabad-based Asia Pacific Flight Training Academy. The lock safety mechanism of 'lift and twist' is built into the Boeing's fuel controls so that pilots cannot just switch off the fuel to the engine by mistake, he explained. 'The fuel control switch cannot be turned off by mistake if the lock system was there. Even if there was an engine problem, like a fire or debris, the pilot would not switch both engines off while airborne,' he said, adding that it sounded like the pilots were surprised when they realised that the fuel switch had turned off and they switched it on again to try and prevent the crash. 'Unfortunately, they couldn't do much in 30 seconds,' Mr Hemanth said. Possible design flaw? Based on the preliminary report, experts are divided on whether to attribute the crash to an aircraft design flaw or human error. The government report says the particular Boeing 787-8 aircraft had a valid airworthiness certificate from 2025. However, it notes that the United States' Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) on Dec 17, 2018, regarding 'the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature'. This was based on reports of operators of Boeing 737 planes in which the fuel control switches were installed with the lock disengaged. Similar fuel switch and lock systems manufactured by Honeywell are installed in various Boeing models, including the Boeing 787-8, the type of plane that crashed in Ahmedabad. The SAIB from 2018 warned that should the locking mechanism of the fuel switch be disengaged, it 'could result in inadvertent operation that could result in unintended switch movement between the fuel supply and fuel cut-off positions'. Usually, to move the fuel switch when the lock is engaged, 'it is necessary for the pilot to lift the switch up while transitioning the switch position', the bulletin noted. If the locking feature is disengaged, as it was in the 737s the FAA had examined in 2018, the fuel switch could be moved from Run to Cutoff without lifting the switch, running the risk of 'potential of inadvertent operation' of the switch. 'Inadvertent operation of the switch could result in an unintended consequence, such as an in-flight engine shutdown,' the SAIB said. The FAA did not deem the issue an 'unsafe condition' mandating corrective action, but recommended that all owners and operators of the affected planes check that the locking feature of the fuel control switch was engaged, and replace the switch if the lock was found to be disengaged. ST has reached out to the FAA with queries. The crash in Ahmedabad has renewed the long-standing concerns about Boeing's safety lapses in manufacturing, which whistleblowers like Mr John Barnett, a former Boeing quality manager, flagged before his mysterious death in 2024 . Denying his accusations, Boeing said that all its aircraft were built to the highest levels of safety and quality. The company insisted that 'safety, quality and integrity are at the core of Boeing's values'. Safety lapse or human error? India's preliminary report says that Air India did not carry out the recommended inspections as 'the SAIB was advisory and not mandatory'. Maintenance records of the crashed aircraft show that the throttle control module was replaced in 2019 and 2023 for reasons not linked to the fuel control switch, but the report also says there was no defect reported on the fuel control switch since 2023. Both fuel control switches going off 'is highly mysterious and needs detailed investigation, especially in light of the December 2018 FAA directive on the fuel control switches', said Mr Sanjay Lazar, chief executive of Pune-based aviation consultation firm Avaialaz Consultants. To know if 'it could have happened mechanically or technically on its own', the complete transcript of the cockpit voice recorder and a probe into the fuel switches are necessary, he added. Retired airline pilot and aircraft safety advisor Captain Mohan Ranganathan told ST that if there was a serious issue in the fuel switch's locking mechanism, the FAA would have insisted on a mandatory fix. 'That it is an advisory means they didn't consider that it can happen,' he said. 'It can only be a deliberate human intervention that moved the fuel switch,' said Capt Ranganathan, given that both fuel switches did not have simultaneous failure, but were cut off one second apart. 'The report has not clearly identified which pilot handled the fuel selector,' he added. Although the report refers to them as 'one pilot' and 'the other pilot', Capt Ranganathan highlighted that it does say that the co-pilot was flying the aircraft, which means the senior pilot in command was monitoring the take-off check-list items, which includes the fuel selector. A full cockpit voice recording will help identify who said what, because the pilots' headphone mics will have been recorded on different sides, he said. Final report expected within a year Most of the experts ST spoke with dismissed speculations of 'pilot suicide' making the rounds on television channels and social media in India, saying there was no evidence behind such a conspiracy theory. 'The reported statements itself show that both pilots were unaware as to how the fuel switch had turned from ON to OFF,' Mr Lazar noted. The preliminary report also says that 'both pilots had adequate rest prior to operating this flight', and that there was no significant bird activity to suggest a bird strike, putting paid to theories floated by experts and aviation enthusiasts soon after the fatal crash. The flight had adequate fuel of 54,200kg enough for its journey to London Gatwick, and the take-off weight of 213,401kg was within allowable limits of 218,183kg. There were no dangerous goods on the plane. Investigations are ongoing, and a final report is expected within a year.
International Business Times
a day ago
- International Business Times
Air India Pilots Made Fatal Error as Probe Reveals Plane's Fuel Supply Was Cut Off Moments Before It Crashed Killing More Than 270 People
A preliminary report on last month's Air India crash, which killed 241 people, with a sole survivor miraculously walking away, found that the aircraft's engine fuel cutoff switch was flipped just three seconds after takeoff. The pilots of the plane were heard questioning one another about whether the plane's fuel supply had been turned off just moments before the aircraft crashed, according to the report. the Boeing 787 Dreamliner likely lost power when the fuel cutoff switches were flipped almost simultaneously, cutting off fuel to the engines. This meant the aircraft began losing thrust and started sinking moments after taking off from Ahmedabad for London, according to Indian accident investigators. Pilots Made Major Blunder It is unclear how or why the switch was flipped, cutting off fuel to the engines and causing the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner to rapidly lose thrust and crash on June 12. "The Engine N1 and N2 began to decrease from their take-off values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off," the report said. The pilots of Air India Flight 171 may have played a role in the tragic crash, as the fuel cutoff switch is not something that can be easily flipped by mistake, according to The US Sun. These switches are typically used to shut down both engines simultaneously — either after arriving at the airport gate or in emergency situations that demand an immediate shutdown. However, the investigation report by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau found no evidence of any emergency prior to the crash that would justify using the fuel cutoff. The crash also claimed the lives of 19 additional people on the ground when the aircraft crashed into a medical college in Ahmedabad, India. Cockpit Audio Reveals Everything The report cited cockpit audio in which one pilot questioned the other about why the fuel had been shut off. The other pilot responded, claiming he hadn't done it. Moments later, one of the pilots issued a panicked mayday call before the aircraft went down, though the report did not identify which pilot made the distress call. Investigators at the crash site found that the fuel cutoff switches were in the "run" position, suggesting that both engines restarted shortly before the impact. The experienced flight crew—a captain and a first officer—had a combined total of 19,000 hours of flight experience. U.S. aviation expert Anthony Brickhouse said that the ongoing investigation will likely focus on why the switches moved in a manner that doesn't align with standard flight operations. "Did they move on their own or did they move because of the pilots? And if they were moved because of a pilot, why?" Brickhouse said. Both black boxes from the ill-fated flight — containing the cockpit voice recordings and flight data — were recovered from the debris a few days after the accident. Investigators will now analyze the data to uncover any additional factors that may have led to the crash. British citizen Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was the only person to survive the Air India tragedy, which also claimed the life of one of his brothers, who had been seated just a few rows away. The 40-year-old, bruised and shaken, was seen limping away from the wreckage, still holding onto his boarding pass. "When I opened my eyes, I realized I was alive," he said from his hospital bed the day after the tragedy.
