A preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau on the June Air India flight crash indicates that the engine fuel supply was cut just before the plane careened back to earth, killing 260 people. The report notes that fuel control switches in the cockpit were flipped, and pilots were heard discussing the cutoff.
Engine fuel supply was cut just before Air India jet crash, preliminary report says
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️A preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau on the June Air India flight crash indicates that the engine fuel supply was cut just before the plane careened back to earth, killing 260 people. The report notes that fuel control switches in the cockpit were flipped, and pilots were heard discussing the cutoff.
Trending- 1 June 12: Air India flight AI171 crashes.
- 2 Friday: India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau releases preliminary report.
- 260 fatalities (242 passengers and crew, 19 on the ground).
- One passenger survived the crash.
- Investigation is ongoing.
- No recommended actions for Boeing 787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers at this stage.
What: Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport. A preliminary report indicates that the engine fuel cutoff switches were transitioned from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' position, one after another with a one-second gap, when the aircraft reached an airspeed of 180 knots. This resulted in the fuel supply to the engines being cut off. The Ram Air Turbine, an emergency power source, deployed during the initial climb. One pilot was heard asking the other why he cut off the fuel, and the other denied doing so. The plane lost altitude and crashed into the BJ Medical College and Hospital hostel. 260 people were killed (242 passengers and crew, 19 on the ground), with one passenger surviving.
When: June 12 (crash date); Friday (preliminary report released).
Where: Ahmedabad, India (Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport); crashed into BJ Medical College and Hospital hostel. The flight was bound for London Gatwick.
Why: The engine fuel cutoff switches were flipped from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' position, leading to the engines losing fuel supply. The reason for the switches being flipped is under investigation.
How: After reaching 180 knots, both engine fuel cutoff switches were moved to the 'CUTOFF' position. This caused takeoff values in the engines to decrease and fuel supply to be cut. The Ram Air Turbine deployed, and the plane lost altitude before crashing.