The investigation into the Air India Flight AI171 crash in Ahmedabad is ongoing, and while a Wall Street Journal report has raised questions about the possibility of intentional actions by the pilots, experts urge caution against premature conclusions. The preliminary report by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has not yet determined the cause of the crash or assigned blame.
The Wall Street Journal report cited US investigators who suggested that black-box data might clarify the events in the cockpit during the final moments of the flight. The report highlighted the movement of fuel supply switches and suggested that the sequence and timing of these movements raised questions about whether they were deliberate or accidental. According to the report, the switches were moved in succession, one second apart, and then turned back on approximately 10 seconds later, leading some experts to believe such actions might not be unintentional. The WSJ report also stated that the captain turned off the switches that controlled fuel flowing to the plane's two engines.
However, US aviation expert Mary Schiavo has refuted claims of human error, asserting that there is no evidence to suggest a pilot deliberately downed the flight. Schiavo pointed to a similar Boeing 787 incident in 2019 where a fuel switch cut-off occurred, and Japanese pilots never touched it.
Several factors beyond pilot error are being considered. The AAIB report confirmed that the fuel switch transitioned from "Run" to "Cutoff," but was found back in the "Run" position at the crash site. This raises the question of whether the switch was manually triggered or if something else caused it. Schiavo suggests a known software bug could be to blame.
It has also come to light that less than a month before the crash, the UK Civil Aviation Authority issued a warning about fuel shutoff valve issues on Boeing aircraft, including the 787. The fuel control system had shown signs of potential failure across multiple models. Despite this, Air India had not inspected the locking mechanism of the AI171's fuel switch, even after replacing its Throttle Control Module in 2019 and 2023. This was because a 2018 FAA advisory about the component wasn't mandatory.
Adding to the complexity, the cockpit voice recording indicates that one pilot questioned the other about the fuel switch-off, and the other pilot denied doing it. This ambiguity has fueled speculation but provides no definitive answers.
The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) and the Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India) have rejected claims of human error, calling them a "reckless and unfounded insinuation". ALPA India criticized the investigative agency for a lack of transparency and for not including "suitably qualified personnel" in the investigation.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has urged against premature conclusions, emphasizing that the investigation is ongoing and the preliminary report identified no cause or made any recommendations.
Given the complexities of the investigation, aviation experts are cautioning against jumping to conclusions. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) noted that both engines of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner lost power seconds after takeoff. The aircraft crashed just two minutes after takeoff, leaving little time to attempt an engine restart.
