Air India crash investigation 'far from over' says CEO
The memo, seen by Reuters, comes after a preliminary report on Saturday showed confusion in the cockpit shortly before the Air India jetliner crashed and killed 260 people last month, after the plane's engine fuel cutoff switches flipped almost simultaneously and starved the engines of fuel.
The Boeing Dreamliner bound for London from the Indian city of Ahmedabad began to lose thrust and sink shortly after takeoff, according to the report on the world's deadliest aviation accident in a decade released by Indian accident investigators.
The memo said that the preliminary report found no mechanical or maintenance faults and that all required maintenance had been carried out.
The report, issued by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, did not offer any conclusions or apportion blame for the 12 June disaster, but indicated that one pilot asked the other why he cut off fuel, and the second pilot responded that he had not.
In its 15-page report, the investigation bureau said that once the aircraft achieved its top recorded speed, "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".
"In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so," it said.
The aircraft quickly began to lose altitude.
The switches then returned to the "RUN" position and the engines appeared to be gathering power, but "one of the pilots transmitted 'MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY'", the report said.
Air traffic controllers asked the pilots what was wrong, but then saw the plane crashing and called emergency personnel to the scene.
Last week, specialist website The Air Current, citing multiple sources familiar with the probe, reported it had "narrowed its focus to the movement of the engine fuel switches", while noting that full analysis will "take months - if not longer".
It added that "the focus of the investigators could change during that time".
The Indian agency's report said that the US Federal Aviation Administration had issued an information bulletin in 2018 about "the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature".
Though the concern was not considered an "unsafe condition" that would warrant a more serious directive, Air India told investigators it did not carry out suggested inspections as they were "advisory and not mandatory".
One passenger survived, a British citizen who was seen walking out of the wreckage
Air India was compliant with all airworthiness directives and alert service bulletins on the aircraft, the report said.
The investigations bureau said there were "no recommended actions to B787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers", suggesting no technical issues with the engines (GE) or the aircraft (Boeing).
The bureau said the investigation was ongoing, and that additional evidence and information has been "sought from the stakeholders".
The UN's International Civil Aviation Organisation stipulates that states heading an investigation must submit a preliminary report within 30 days of an accident.
US and British air accident investigators have taken part in the probe.
The plane was carrying 230 passengers, 169 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian, along with 12 crew members.
Dozens of people on the ground were injured.
One passenger miraculously survived, a British citizen who was seen walking out of the wreckage of the crash, and who has since been discharged from hospital.
Health officials in the Indian state of Gujarat initially said at least 279 people were killed, but forensic scientists reduced the figure after multiple scattered and badly burnt remains were identified.
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The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Fears grow Air India crash was pilot suicide as aviation expert says ‘vanishingly small' chance fuel was cut by accident
FEARS are mounting that the doomed Air India flight was a pilot suicide - as an aviation expert claimed there was a vanishingly small chance the fuel was cut by accident. Ex-pilot Terry Tozer told The Sun why it was extremely likely that the fuel switches were 9 The plane seconds before disaster Credit: X 9 Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was the lead pilot in the doomed Air India flight 9 Officials inspect the remains of the Air India passenger plane at the crash site in Ahmedabad Credit: EPA 9 Clive Kunder was the co-pilot on the doomed flight Credit: Getty He explained why the plane's lock mechanism meant it was incredibly unlikely the Tozer said: "The fuel "And that implies that somebody did that as a conscious human action, because so far as we understand, these switches have a lock mechanism." He added: "They have to be lifted in order to be moved. Otherwise they lock in position." READ MORE WORLD NEWS The claims come after the But aviation experts, like Tozer, have claimed it is almost certainly a case of Two major commercial pilots' associations rejected claims that human error caused the Boeing to crash and kill 241 people on board and 19 on the ground. Tozer also explained another piece of evidence which strongly ruled out an electrical or Most read in The Sun He said: "The fact that the fuel cutoff was initiated first with one engine and then the other... kind of implies a conscious lifting of a switch - moving it and lifting it." The expert said that unless somebody could prove a "weird electromechanical process" caused the switch to move without human intervention, then all evidence indicated that "somebody lifted and moved one switch followed by the other". Air India victims' families slam 'cover-up' probe as questions remain over possible engine switch confusion And he said the chance somebody could prove the He explained: "I find it hard to believe that that something you would do by accident." But he stopped short of speculating "And of course, that opens another whole can of worms as to why somebody would do that," he said. He also told how the report was "probably trying to avoid deliberately pointing a finger" at either of the pilots by not naming which one said "why did you cutoff" in response to the fuel cutoff switches moving. "The full report will basically come up with final conclusions," he said, adding that not naming them specifically indicated investigators were "very circumspect". He added: "But of course, if the locking mechanism didn't actually function on this aircraft, you can't entirely rule out the fact that someone inadvertently touched them and they flicked off. "Having said that, I can't see why any pilot would have their hands anywhere near the area where these switches are located." He continued: "The first officer was flying the aircraft. Whose hands would have both been on the control column? "The captain would have been monitoring what was going on. So he had his hands free." 9 Wreckage of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane sits on the ground outside Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport Credit: Reuters 9 Landing gear of the Air India plane crashed directly on the BJ Medical College UG hostel mess Credit: x/mitrapredator 9 A cockpit view of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft shows the fuel switch; Annotations by The Sun Graphics Credit: Getty He said that another pilot in India speculated that the pilot committed suicide - but said that this statement was "rather presumptuous because we simply don't know". The claims came as it was revealed that Air India's CEO backed the doomed fight's pilots in a leaked memo, Reuters reported. Airline CEO Campbell Wilson said the probe into the horrific crash was far from over and warned it would be unwise to jump to any conclusions. He said in the memo: "The release of the preliminary report marked the point at which we, along with the world, began receiving additional details about what took place. "Unsurprisingly, it provided both greater clarity and opened additional questions." Wilson added: "The preliminary report identified no cause nor made any recommendations, so I urge everyone to avoid drawing premature conclusions as the investigation is far from over." Key findings of the report: Dual engine shutdown - fuel cutoff switches moved from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' Confusion between pilots - cockpit audio confirms one pilot asked 'why did you cutoff', the other replied 'I didn't' RAT deployed - as seen in CCTV footage before the crash Engine relight attempted - fuel switches were found returned to the "RUN" at crash site 32 seconds - the time the aircraft was airborne before it crashed Thrust levers mismatch - Thrust levers found at idle but black box data shows takeoff thrust was still engaged Fuel test pass - fuel was clean without any contamination Normal take-off set-up - Flaps and landing gear correctly configured No bird activity - clear skies, good visibility, light winds Pilot credentials clear - both medically fit and rested No sabotage detected - although FAA alerted over a known fuel switch vulnerability not checked by Air India Aircraft loading - the flight was within weight and balance limits The Boeing 787 Dreamliner en route to London Gatwick from Indian Ahmedabad began to lose thrust and sink shortly after takeoff,the report released by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said. The memo also said the preliminary report found no mechanical or maintenance faults, and that all required maintenance had been carried out. The claims and leaked memo also came as it was revealed the doomed flight's captain was considering quitting early after his mum's death. Flight AI171 was led by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was reportedly just He was looking to retire early and take care of his 92-year-old father Pushkaraj Sabharwal - a former Indian civil aviation official - who became alone after his wife's death. Savitri Budhania, who lives close to Captain Sabharwal's house, said she once told him that "your father is too old to be living alone". To which the pilot replied: "Just one or two more flights… then I'm going to just be with Papa." A leading aviation expert in India also told The Telegraph that Captain Sabharwal suffered from mental health issues and depression - and had taken time off in the last few years following his mum's death. Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a former instructor pilot of Boeing 737, said: "I have heard from several Air India pilots who told me he had some depression and mental health issues. "He had taken time off from flying in the last three to four years." Crash investigators are now said to be The Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 242 passengers on board - including 53 Brits - smashed into a doctors' hostel in Ahmedabad in the west of India. The plane was headed to London Gatwick when it crashed just seconds after take-off, killing all but one passenger. 9 Tail of the doomed Air India flight Credit: Reuters 9 Vishwash Ramesh, the sole survivor of the Air India crash, poses for the first time since the disaster Credit: Dan Charity
RTÉ News
8 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Air India crash investigation 'far from over' says CEO
The investigation into last month's Air India Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad city is "far from over," CEO Campbell Wilson has said in an internal memo, adding that the airline is open to further inquiries and warned against "premature conclusions". The memo, seen by Reuters, comes after a preliminary report on Saturday showed confusion in the cockpit shortly before the Air India jetliner crashed and killed 260 people last month, after the plane's engine fuel cutoff switches flipped almost simultaneously and starved the engines of fuel. The Boeing Dreamliner bound for London from the Indian city of Ahmedabad began to lose thrust and sink shortly after takeoff, according to the report on the world's deadliest aviation accident in a decade released by Indian accident investigators. The memo said that the preliminary report found no mechanical or maintenance faults and that all required maintenance had been carried out. The report, issued by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, did not offer any conclusions or apportion blame for the 12 June disaster, but indicated that one pilot asked the other why he cut off fuel, and the second pilot responded that he had not. In its 15-page report, the investigation bureau said that once the aircraft achieved its top recorded speed, "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". "In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so," it said. The aircraft quickly began to lose altitude. The switches then returned to the "RUN" position and the engines appeared to be gathering power, but "one of the pilots transmitted 'MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY'", the report said. Air traffic controllers asked the pilots what was wrong, but then saw the plane crashing and called emergency personnel to the scene. Last week, specialist website The Air Current, citing multiple sources familiar with the probe, reported it had "narrowed its focus to the movement of the engine fuel switches", while noting that full analysis will "take months - if not longer". It added that "the focus of the investigators could change during that time". The Indian agency's report said that the US Federal Aviation Administration had issued an information bulletin in 2018 about "the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature". Though the concern was not considered an "unsafe condition" that would warrant a more serious directive, Air India told investigators it did not carry out suggested inspections as they were "advisory and not mandatory". One passenger survived, a British citizen who was seen walking out of the wreckage Air India was compliant with all airworthiness directives and alert service bulletins on the aircraft, the report said. The investigations bureau said there were "no recommended actions to B787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers", suggesting no technical issues with the engines (GE) or the aircraft (Boeing). The bureau said the investigation was ongoing, and that additional evidence and information has been "sought from the stakeholders". The UN's International Civil Aviation Organisation stipulates that states heading an investigation must submit a preliminary report within 30 days of an accident. US and British air accident investigators have taken part in the probe. The plane was carrying 230 passengers, 169 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian, along with 12 crew members. Dozens of people on the ground were injured. One passenger miraculously survived, a British citizen who was seen walking out of the wreckage of the crash, and who has since been discharged from hospital. Health officials in the Indian state of Gujarat initially said at least 279 people were killed, but forensic scientists reduced the figure after multiple scattered and badly burnt remains were identified.
The Irish Sun
8 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Air India pilot's mental health probed and medical records seized after fuel turned off in cockpit killing 260
CRASH investigators are said to be probing the medical records of the doomed Air India flight's Captain amid claims he suffered from mental health problems. Preliminary report into the fatal crash found the which led to a 10 Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was the lead pilot in the doomed Air India flight 10 Officials inspect the remains of the Air India passenger plane at the crash site near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad Credit: EPA 10 One of the rear landing gears amid debris at the site of a plane crash Credit: EPA 10 The plane seconds before disaster Credit: X The Air India flight bound to London Gatwick was led by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was reportedly just months away from retirement. But the pilot had been considering leaving the airlines early to look after his elderly father, A leading aviation expert in India told the media outlet that Captain Sabharwal reportedly suffered from mental health issues and depression - and had taken time off in the last few years following his mum's death. Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a former instructor pilot of Boeing 737, said: "I have heard from several Air India pilots who told me he had some depression and mental health issues. more on Air india crash "He had taken time off from flying in the last three to four years." Although Mr Ranganathan added that Captain Sabharwal "must have been medically cleared by the company [Air India] doctors" before flying. He is understood to have taken a Class I medical exam on September 5 last year. Investigators are now said to be probing his medical records after the preliminary crash report indicated there may have been human error, although some aviation experts claim it is a case of deliberate action. Most read in The Sun Sources said the black box analysis has so far been unable to rule out 'improper, inadvertent or intentional' action that caused them to be flipped. Families of the victims who tragically died in the crash have Second-by-second breakdown of Air India jet disaster from mayday call to horror crash – all within a minute of takeoff They have dubbed the investigation "biased" and said it only appears to "blame the dead pilots". The Airline Pilots' Association of India (APAI) rejected the 'tone and direction' of the inquiry and said it came without sufficient evidence. However, India's Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said that investigators probed in a "mature, transparent" way. "This is a preliminary report. We want the final report to come in, so let us wait for it," he added. Early findings in the 15-page report released by the Indian authorities indicate The fuel switches were then toggled to the "RUN" position, and the engines appeared to be gathering power , but failed to stop the plane from decelerating. Key findings of the report: Dual engine shutdown - fuel cutoff switches moved from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' Confusion between pilots - cockpit audio confirms one pilot asked 'why did you cutoff', the other replied 'I didn't' RAT deployed - as seen in CCTV footage before the crash Engine relight attempted - fuel switches were found returned to the "RUN" at crash site 32 seconds - the time the aircraft was airborne before it crashed Thrust levers mismatch - Thrust levers found at idle but black box data shows takeoff thrust was still engaged Fuel test pass - fuel was clean without any contamination Normal take-off set-up - Flaps and landing gear correctly configured No bird activity - clear skies, good visibility, light winds Pilot credentials clear - both medically fit and rested No sabotage detected - although FAA alerted over a known fuel switch vulnerability not checked by Air India Aircraft loading - the flight was within weight and balance limits Analysis of the cockpit voice recording revealed that one of the pilots asked: 'Why did you cut off?" To which the other pilot replied: 'I didn't." Though the report does not identify which comments were made by the flight's captain and which were made by the first officer. Nor does it "identify the cause - whether it was crew error, mechanical malfunction, or electronic failure." Flipping the switches to cut off almost immediately cuts the fuel supply to the engines. It 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. But the inconclusive report, which came after 30 days of the crash, does not indicate that the flight encountered any such emergency situation. 10 A cockpit view of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft shows the fuel switch; Annotations by The Sun Graphics Credit: Getty 10 Clive Kunder was the co-pilot on the doomed flight Credit: Getty 10 Rear end of the aircraft after it crashed into a medical hostel It is almost impossible to turn the switches off accidentally - they must be pulled up and locked before flipping - a safety design feature that was introduced decades ago. Protective guards are further installed to minimise the risks - raising further questions as to why the fuel switches in the Air India flight were turned off. The report points out that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2018 issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) - highlighting that a few Boeing 737 fuel control switches were installed with the locking feature disengaged. But it was not deemed unsafe, and no Airworthiness Directive (AD) - a legally enforceable regulation to correct unsafe conditions in a product - was issued. A similar switch design is used in Boeing 787-8 aircraft, including Air India's VT-ANB Dreamliner in question. 10 The FAA and Boeing have now privately issued notifications that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe, according to four sources and a document seen by Reuters. The report said Air India had said it had not carried out the FAA's suggested inspections, as the FAA 2018 advisory was not a legal mandate. But it also said maintenance records showed that the throttle control module, which includes the fuel switches, was replaced in 2019 and 2023 on the plane involved in the crash. Experts have said a pilot would not be able to accidentally move the fuel switches. "If they were moved because of a pilot, why?" asked U.S. aviation safety expert Anthony Brickhouse. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 242 passengers on board - including 53 Brits - smashed into a doctors' hostel in Ahmedabad in the west of India. The plane was headed to London Gatwick when it crashed just seconds after take-off, killing all but one passenger. 10 Landing gear of the Air India plane crashed directly on the BJ Medical College UG hostel mess Credit: x/mitrapredator 10 Vishwash Ramesh, the sole survivor of the Air India crash, poses for the first time since the disaster Credit: Dan Charity
