Fuel supply cut to engines caused Air India flight crash
Fuel supply cut to engines caused Air India flight crash
A preliminary investigation into the Air India flight 171 crash has revealed that a cut in the fuel supply to the engines was responsible for the disaster.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which was headed from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12.
The incident resulted in 260 fatalities, including all but one of the 242 passengers and crew members on board and 19 fatalities on the ground.
Communication breakdown between pilots
According to the 15-page report by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, the cockpit voice recordings revealed a communication breakdown between the pilots.
One pilot asked why the fuel cutoff was done, to which the other replied he hadn't done it.
The aircraft had reached an airspeed of 180 knots when both engines' fuel cutoff switches were turned from the "RUN" to "CUTOFF" position with a one-second time gap.
Plane lost altitude and crashed
The switches were quickly reversed back to their proper positions, and the engines were just about to restart when the crash occurred.
"Engine 1's core deceleration stopped, reversed and started to progress to recovery. Engine 2 was able to relight but could not arrest core speed deceleration and re-introduced fuel repeatedly to increase core speed acceleration and recovery," the report reads.
According to the preliminary data, there have been no recorded defects with the fuel control switch since 2023.
No significant fault found with plane or its engines
The left engine on the plane was installed on March 26, and the right engine on May 1.
"At this stage of investigation, there are no recommended actions to B787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers, suggesting that no significant fault has been found with the plane or its engines," the report stated, referring to the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft makers and its GE engines.
Controller called for the plane's callsign
Airport footage shows the Ram Air Turbine, an emergency power source, was deployed during the initial climb after takeoff.
The plane lost altitude and crashed before crossing the airport perimeter wall. Seconds after the engines attempted to relight, one pilot called out "MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY."
The controller called for the plane's callsign but received no response as they watched it crash in the distance.
Investigators rule out significant bird activity as cause of crash
Investigators have also ruled out significant bird activity as a cause of the crash, and the plane's equipment settings were normal for takeoff.
The plane's fuel was found satisfactory, the takeoff weight was within limits, and there were no "dangerous goods" on board.
The report added that the flaps were set correctly for takeoff at a 5-degree position and the landing gear lever was down.
Air India acknowledges preliminary report
Air India has acknowledged the preliminary report and pledged to cooperate with authorities in the ongoing investigation.
"Air India stands in solidarity with the families and those affected by the AI171 accident," it said on X (formerly Twitter).
It also said that the airline is "working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. We continue to fully cooperate with the AAIB and other authorities as their investigation progresses."