Preliminary report on cause of Air India plane crash released | DW News

Key Concepts

• Fuel cutoff switches: Devices that, when activated, stop the flow of fuel to the engines.
• Cockpit Voice Recording (CVR): Records sounds in the cockpit, including pilot conversations.
• Flight Data Recorder (FDR): Records various flight parameters, such as altitude, speed, and engine performance.
• Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB): India's agency responsible for investigating aircraft accidents.
• National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB): The US agency that investigates transportation accidents, including aviation.
• Preliminary Report: An initial report outlining the initial findings of an investigation.
• Mayday call: An urgent distress call.
• Systemic failure: A failure that is inherent in the design or operation of a system.

Air India Flight 171 Disaster: Preliminary Findings

1. Incident Overview

• Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India, on June 12th.
• The flight was bound for London.
• 260 people were killed: 241 of 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground.
• The crash is described as the world's deadliest aviation disaster in a decade.

2. Initial Investigation Findings

• A preliminary report indicates that the fuel supply to both engines was cut off shortly after takeoff.
• The cockpit voice recording (CVR) reveals a pilot asking another why he moved the fuel switches to cutoff.
• The other pilot denied doing so.
• Moving the fuel switches to the cutoff position starves the engines of fuel.

3. Sequence of Events

• The plane reached an altitude of approximately 200 meters.
• It then stopped climbing and began a rapid descent.
• The plane erupted into a fireball upon impact with the ground, hitting a medical college hostel.

4. Investigation Details

• The investigation is being led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), with participation from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and a UN observer.
• The flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) were recovered.
• There was a two-week delay in downloading the flight data, leading to speculation about the black boxes being sent to the US for analysis.

5. Fuel Switch Analysis

• The preliminary report seemingly rules out other potential causes for the crash other than the fatal movement of the fuel switches.
• The fuel switches were moved from "run" to "cutoff" within one second of each other, shortly after takeoff.
• The fuel switches are located in the central console of the cockpit.
• Experts believe it is unlikely to move them accidentally because the switches must be lifted, moved, and released into position.
• The report indicates that at least one pilot attempted to push the switches back into position, seemingly succeeding, but too late to prevent the crash.

6. Pilot Performance

• Investigators have not issued any alert to other aircraft operating the same type of aircraft (Dreamliner) or engine, suggesting no systemic failure.
• Both pilots were experienced, well-rested, and passed breathalyzer tests.
• One pilot was 56 years old with over 15,000 flight hours.
• The other pilot was 32 years old with over 3,400 flight hours.
• The younger pilot was flying the plane on the day of the crash.
• It is not yet clear from the voice recording who asked "why did you cut off" and who responded "I did not do so."

7. Ongoing Investigation

• The main focus of the ongoing investigation will be to determine which pilot moved the fuel switches and why.
• The investigation is expected to last for several more months.

8. Notable Quotes

• Pilot 1 (from CVR): "Why did you cut off?"
• Pilot 2 (from CVR): "I did not do so."

Synthesis/Conclusion

The preliminary report into the Air India Flight 171 disaster points to the manual cutoff of fuel to both engines shortly after takeoff as the primary cause of the crash. The investigation is focusing on the actions of the pilots, specifically who moved the fuel cutoff switches and their motivations, as no systemic failure has been identified. The full investigation is expected to take several more months to complete.