Fuel switches: The core of Air India crash probe explained

Fuel switches: The core of Air India crash probe explained

The preliminary investigation into the Air India crash has revealed that the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner's engine fuel control switches were briefly turned off seconds after takeoff.

The incident, which took place on June 12, led to the death of all but one of the 242 people on board and claimed 19 lives on the ground.

The flight was en route from Ahmedabad to London when it crashed.

What are fuel control switches?

Fuel switches are critical components that control the flow of fuel to an aircraft's engines.

Pilots use them to start or shut down engines on the ground and manually shut down or restart engines during flight if needed.

According to aviation experts, these switches can't be accidentally moved by pilots.

US aviation safety expert John Cox emphasized that there are separate power systems and wiring for these switches and their associated fuel valves.

What happened on the ill-fated flight

The two fuel control switches on a Boeing 787 are situated below the thrust levers and are spring-loaded to stay in position.

To change from "run" to "cutoff," a pilot must pull up the switch and then move it between modes.

According to the flight recorder, both engine switches were moved from "run" to "cutoff" within seconds of each other after takeoff, resulting in an immediate loss of engine power.

What was captured on the cockpit voice recorder

A cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot asking why the other had cut off the fuel. The other pilot denied doing so.

The report does not specify which pilot made these statements.

Seconds later, both switches were returned to "run." At the crash site, both were found in this position.

When switched from "cutoff" to "run" during flight, each engine's control system automatically initiates a relight and thrust recovery sequence involving ignition and fuel introduction.

Investigation underway to determine how this happened

"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.

The investigation continues to determine how and why this happened on the ill-fated Air India flight.

Air India has acknowledged the preliminary report and pledged to cooperate with authorities in the ongoing investigation.