A preliminary report regarding the Air India flight AI171 that crashed in Ahmedabad last month, killing 260 people, indicates that the plane's engines lost power shortly after takeoff due to the fuel supply being cut off. The report, compiled by Indian aviation accident investigators, reveals that the engine fuel switches abruptly switched from the "run" to the "cutoff" position within one second of each other. This action starved the engines of fuel, causing the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to lose thrust and begin to descend rapidly.
According to the report, the aircraft had reached an airspeed of 180 knots (207 mph) after taking off normally. However, almost immediately after, the fuel cutoff switches for both engines were engaged. These switches are designed to start, shut down, or reset the jet engines in emergencies. Investigators are still working to determine what caused the switches to move to the cutoff position.
The preliminary report also reveals confusion in the cockpit following the fuel cutoff. On the cockpit voice recording, one pilot can be heard asking the other why he cut off the fuel. The other pilot responded that he did not do so. The report does not identify which pilot made which statement, nor does it specify who transmitted the "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" call just before the crash.
The incident occurred on June 12, when the London-bound flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, impacting a crowded residential complex. Of the 242 people on board, 241 were killed, including 53 British nationals, in addition to 19 fatalities on the ground.
Aviation experts are weighing in on the possible causes of the sudden fuel cutoff. Tim Atkinson, a pilot and aviation consultant, suggested that "very few situations or circumstances which would explain this". He proposed the possibilities of "an utterly extraordinary human error, an unintentional act, and the other - I'm very sorry to say - would be an intentional act". However, he emphasized that this was merely an analysis based on the limited information available.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) stated that one of the engines was able to be restarted, but it was not enough to counter the plane's deceleration. The AAIB's preliminary report marks 30 days since the crash, and a final report is expected within a year. The report also stated that there are no recommended actions for Boeing 787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers at this stage of the investigation.
The crash site was examined, and investigators found no significant bird activity near the plane's flight path. The aircraft began to lose altitude before crossing the airport perimeter wall. Both the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder, were recovered from the wreckage. These "black boxes" are expected to provide crucial data, including altitude, airspeed, and pilot communications, to help determine the cause of the crash. The AAIB's report is based on the initial findings of the investigation.