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Take-off to cut-off, all safety checks protocol followed: Air India crash probe report
This handout taken and posted on the X (formerly Twitter) account of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) On June 12, 2025 shows the back of an Air India plane after it crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad. Image- AFP
As India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau released the preliminary report on the devastating Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, one of the aspects that remains clear is that adequate safety checks were followed from takeoff to the crash time.
The report released on Friday night indicated that fuel to the engine of the aircraft was cut off, leading to the deadly crash last month, which killed 260 people. It is pertinent to note that under international aviation rules, the investigating state must file an initial report with any findings within 30 days of an air crash.
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The report by the Indian authorities stated that the switches in the cockpit of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner moved to a ' cutoff' from the 'Run' position. 'The aircraft achieved the maximum recorded airspeed of 180 knots IAS [indicated airspeed] 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 1 second,' the report said.
'The engines N1 and N2 began to decrease from their takeoff values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off,' it furthered. The aircraft eventually lost altitude before crossing the airport perimeter wall. Apart from this, the report stated that adequate checks were followed before and during the take-off.
The checks before and during the take-off
The report noted that both the pilots in charge had an adequate rest period before operating the AI171 that crashed just 31 seconds after taking off. Apart from this, the crew of the flight were also found to be fit while operating the flight.
When it comes to the take-off, the weights on the aircraft at that time were within allowable limits. 'There was no 'Dangerous Goods' on the aircraft,' the report said. 'Taxi clearance was received and the aircraft taxied from the bay to Runway 23 via Taxiway R4.'
The report mentioned that the plane achieved the maximum recorded airspeed of 180 Knots. Soon after this, 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. Hence, both engines began to decrease take-off values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off, which ultimately led to the crash.
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It is pertinent to note that the report released by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is a preliminary one, and the case is now being further investigated.
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Indian Express
33 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Pilot error? Don't jump to conclusions, there are other questions: Experts on Ahmedabad plane crash
THE PRELIMINARY report of the ongoing investigation into the June 12 crash of Air India flight AI 171 is far more detailed than what industry veterans and experts expected, and gives an indication of the direction the probe may be headed in. The 15-page report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), an office attached to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, has zeroed in on the most probable primary cause of the accident— the engines being starved of fuel with the transitioning of the fuel control switches from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' position within a second of each other moments after lift-off. From the cockpit voice recorder data, the report notes that one of the pilots asked the other why he cut off the fuel, to which the other pilot responded saying he did not. While some interpret these findings as hinting at human error, aviation industry veterans said it is too premature to arrive at any conclusion based on just the preliminary report. 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Experts also pointed out that these switches are manual and not motorised, and cannot be physically moved by electrical signals or the plane's avionics. Notably, the report also makes mention of the 2018 Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), regarding the 'potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature'. Air India, however, did not carry out the inspection as the SAIB was merely advisory and not mandatory. Moreover, the cockpit's throttle control module—which houses the fuel control switches among others—was replaced in 2019 and 2023, but the reason for replacement was not linked to the fuel control switches. The initial report said that no defect pertaining to the fuel control switches on the aircraft was reported since 2023. Nevertheless, could the disengagement of the switch lock, component fatigue, or a mechanical failure move the switches? Experts said this is unlikely. The possibility of even one disengaged switch being flicked by accident was highly unlikely, they said, pointing out the report's findings that both switches appeared to have changed positions. Sukalp Sharma is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and writes on a host of subjects and sectors, notably energy and aviation. He has over 13 years of experience in journalism with a body of work spanning areas like politics, development, equity markets, corporates, trade, and economic policy. He considers himself an above-average photographer, which goes well with his love for travel. ... Read More
The Hindu
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Time of India
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