- Crash of Boeing 787 killed 260 people last month.
- Pilots experienced, unclear how fuel contacts moved.
- The report says one pilot asked the other why he interrupted fuel.
A preliminary report depicted confusion in the cockpit shortly before an Air India Jetlin crashed and killed 260 people last month after the aircraft’s engine fuel break almost simultaneously turned and starved fuel engines.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner, heading for London from the Indian city of Ahmedabad, immediately began to lose push and sink, according to the report of the world’s deadliest aviation accident in a decade released on Saturday by Indian accident suborders.
The report of India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on the crash on June 12 Shortly after start, fresh questions about the location of the critical engine fuel switches, while Boeing and engine manufacturer GE GE had no apparent responsibility for the accident.
The accident is a challenge for Tata Group’s ambitious campaign to restore Air India’s reputation and renew its fleet after taking over the carrier from the government in 2022.
Almost immediately after the aircraft lifted from the ground, CCTV recordings show that a backup -energy source called a RAM air turbine had inserted, indicating a loss of power from the engines.
At the last minute of the aircraft, one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder who asked the other why he cut off the fuel. “The other pilot replied he didn’t,” the report said.
It did not identify which comments were made by the Flyve’s captain, and as by the first officer, nor which pilot transmitted “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday” just before the crash.
The commanding pilot of the Air India aircraft was the sum of Sabharwal (56), which had a total flying experience of 15,638 hours, and according to the Indian government was also an Air India instructor. His co-pilot was clive customers, 32, who had 3,403 hours of total experience.
The fuel switches were almost simultaneously flipped from running to cut off right after the start. The preliminary report did not say how the switches could have turned to the Cutoff position during the flight.
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 us aviation safety expert Anthony Brickhouse.
The contacts turned another apart, says the report, about the time it would take to change one and then the other, according to US aviation expert John Nance. He added that a pilot would usually never turn off the switches during flight, especially when the aircraft starts to climb.
Turning to the Cutoffet almost instantly cuts the engines. It is most often used to turn off engines when an aircraft has arrived at its airport sport and in certain emergencies, such as a engine fire. The report does not indicate that there was any emergency that required an engine disconnection.
At the scene of the accident, both fuel switches were found in the driving position, and there had been indications of both engines related before the low -height crash said the report, which was released around 10 pm. 01:30 on Saturday (2000 GMT on Friday).
Air India recognized the report in a statement. The airline said it was cooperating with Indian authorities but rejected further comment.
The US National Transport Safety Council thanked Indian officials for their cooperation in a statement and noted that there were no recommended actions in the report aimed at operators of the Boeing 787 Jets or GE engines.
The US Federal Aviation Administration said its priority was to follow the facts in which they led, and it was obliged to immediately tackle any risks identified throughout the process.
Boeing said it continued to support the investigation and its customer, Air India. GE Aerospace did not immediately respond to a comment request.
Crash probe
AAIB, an office under India’s Civil Aviation Ministry, leads the probe into the crash that killed everyone except one of the 242 people on board and 19 others on earth.
Most aircraft accidents are caused by several factors with a preliminary report due to 30 days after the accident under international rules and a final report expected within a year.
The black boxes of the aircraft, combined cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders, were recovered in the days after the crash and later downloaded in India.
Black boxes provide crucial data such as height, air velocity and last pilot conversations that help narrow possible causes of the crash.
Air India has been under intense control since the crash.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it is planning to investigate its budget airline, Air India Express, after Reuters reported that the carrier did not follow a directive to change engine parts of an Airbus A320 immediately and counterfeit items to show compliance.
India’s aviation watchdog has also warned Air India for violating rules for flying three Airbus aircraft with overdue checks on flight images and in June warned it about “serious violations” of pilot taxes.
India is knocking on a boom in aviation to support broader development targets, with New Delhi saying it wants India to be a job -creating global aviation hub towards Dubai, which is currently handling much of the country’s international traffic.
