A preliminary report regarding the Air India crash that occurred last month in Ahmedabad, India, reveals potential pilot confusion concerning the movement of engine fuel switches. The crash, involving a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick, resulted in 260 fatalities.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released a 15-page preliminary report that indicates a critical sequence of events unfolded just seconds after takeoff. According to the report, the fuel cutoff switches for both engines abruptly transitioned from the "RUN" to "CUTOFF" position in rapid succession. This occurred merely three seconds after the aircraft left the ground, leading to a near-simultaneous disruption of fuel supply to both engines. The report specifies that the transitions happened within one second of each other. The cutoff of fuel caused the engines to lose thrust.

Adding to the complexity of the situation, the cockpit voice recording captured a perplexing exchange between the pilots. One pilot can be heard questioning the other about why he initiated the cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not perform the action. The report does not specify which pilot made which statement.

Following the fuel cutoff, the aircraft's systems initiated an automatic relight attempt on Engine 1, which proved successful. However, Engine 2 did not recover despite multiple attempts to reintroduce fuel. The report also notes that the Ram Air Turbine (RAT), an emergency power source, was deployed immediately after liftoff, indicating a total loss of power to essential systems. At 08:09:05 UTC, a distress call was made, just seconds before the aircraft impacted buildings outside the airport perimeter.

The preliminary report excludes the possibility of a bird strike or adverse weather conditions as contributing factors to the crash. Examination of CCTV footage from the airport revealed no significant bird activity near the flight path. The report also indicates that the pilots had adequate rest period before the flight and that a breathalyzer test was conducted which showed that they were fit to operate the flight.

In the aftermath of the crash, Air India has stated that they are cooperating fully with the AAIB and other authorities in the ongoing investigation. The airline has also expressed solidarity with the families of the victims.

The investigation is still in its early stages, and the preliminary report does not offer definitive conclusions regarding the cause of the engine switch movement. The report does not recommend any immediate actions for Boeing 787-8 or GE GEnx-1B engine operators or manufacturers.