Air India Flight 171 Crash Investigation Reveals Critical Fuel Control Issues
New preliminary reports highlight fuel supply cutoff to both engines during ascent as a key factor in the Air India Flight 171 crash investigation.
Fuel to engines cut off before Air India plane crash, report says
Washington Examiner
What the ‘black box’ can tell us about plane crashes
Associated Press
Fuel supply was cut just before Air India crash, says preliminary report
New York Daily News
Overview
- Air India Flight 171 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, resulting in 260 fatalities, with one British national surviving.
- Investigators found that both engines' fuel cutoff switches shifted from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' during ascent, leading to engine failure.
- The fuel supply was restored seconds later, but it was too late to prevent the crash, raising questions about the sequence of events.
- Preliminary reports suggest the issue was not due to mechanical failure or design flaws, but the investigation is ongoing.
- A full report on the crash is not expected for several months, leaving many questions unanswered.
Report issue
Read both sides in 5 minutes each day
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the Air India crash with a focus on technical failures, particularly the fuel control switches, suggesting negligence or malfunction. They emphasize the tragic loss of life while maintaining a tone of investigative urgency, reflecting a commitment to uncovering the truth behind the incident, albeit with varying degrees of bias.
"The report, issued by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau on Saturday, also found that one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel in the flight’s final moment."
Associated Press"The finding is very disturbing - that a pilot has shut off the fuel switch within seconds of flying."
BBC News"The preliminary finding into last month’s Air India plane crash has suggested the aircraft’s fuel control switches were turned off, causing a loss of engine thrust shortly after takeoff."
ABC News"The report, issued by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, also indicated that both pilots were confused over the change to the switch setting, which caused a loss of engine thrust shortly after takeoff."
Associated Press"The preliminary report indicates that both engines lost thrust due to the cutoff switches being flipped, leading to a tragic crash that resulted in the loss of at least 270 lives."
CBS News"The report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau comes as the airline has been under intense pressure to answer for the crash, which killed all but one passenger on the plane and 29 others on the ground."
NBC News"A preliminary report into the Air India crash last month, which left at least 270 people dead, indicates that fuel to the plane's engines was shut off just seconds after the plane lifted off."
ABC News"A total of 260 people were killed when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after it took off from Ahmedabad last month."
NPR"The report also said that the pilots can be heard on the cockpit voice recorder, with one asking the other why he moved the switches to the cutoff position, and the other responding that he did not do so."
USA TODAYArticles (22)
FAQ
Both engine fuel control switches were moved from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' within a second of each other during ascent, leading to immediate engine starvation and failure. Although the switches were later found back in 'RUN' and relight attempts were made, only one engine recovered partially, too late to prevent the crash 32 seconds after takeoff.
Mechanical failure, bird strike, and fuel contamination have been ruled out. Investigators are still considering human error, system failure, or design issues, but the exact reason why the fuel cutoff switches moved remains undetermined and under forensic analysis.
The primary unanswered questions are why both fuel cutoff switches were moved to 'CUTOFF' without apparent command, who or what initiated this action, and whether there was a system malfunction or human error involved. Cockpit recordings and flight data are still being analyzed.
A full report is not expected for several months, as investigations are ongoing and forensic analyses are still being conducted.
Air India is in contact with all next of kin, has assigned caregivers to each affected family in Ahmedabad, and is assisting with the handover of remains and personal effects. Assistance centers are operational at Ahmedabad and Mumbai airports to support families seeking information[3].
History
- 18d
3 articles
- 18d
5 articles
- 19d
6 articles - 19d5 articles