NEW DELHI. Fuel control switches on an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner were moved from “run” to “cutoff” just seconds before the aircraft crashed on June 12, starving both engines of fuel and leading to a deadly crash in Ahmedabad, according to a preliminary investigation report released Saturday.
The report from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) revealed that both pilots appeared confused over the change in the switch settings, which caused a loss of engine thrust shortly after takeoff. The flight lasted only about 30 seconds.
The crash killed at least 260 people, including 19 on the ground, making it one of India’s worst aviation disasters. Only one passenger survived. The plane was carrying 230 passengers, including 169 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, along with 12 crew members.
The AAIB report stated that after reaching the aircraft’s top recorded speed, “the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another” within a second. The report did not specify how or why the switches flipped mid-flight.
Although the switches were later returned to the run position, the aircraft was unable to regain engine power quickly enough to prevent the crash. “One of the pilots transmitted ‘MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY,’” the report noted.
Cockpit voice recordings also revealed confusion between the pilots in the final moments. One was heard asking, “Why did you cut off the fuel?” The other replied, “I didn’t.”
The preliminary report did not issue any recommendations for Boeing. Meanwhile, Air India released a statement saying it is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
“Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. We continue to fully cooperate with the AAIB and other authorities as their investigation progresses,” the airline said.
The black boxes, containing cockpit voice and flight data recordings, were recovered shortly after the crash and analyzed in India. Authorities also ordered comprehensive checks of Air India’s entire fleet of 33 Boeing 787 Dreamliners to prevent similar incidents.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
