A first look at the circumstances surrounding the recent Air India crash has released some background on what led to this disaster. The accident was caused by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashing into the BJ Medical College and Hospital hostel. An initial report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) found that both engines lost power just before the aircraft went down. Tragically, this incident resulted in the deaths of 19 people on the ground and all but one of the passengers on board.
Key findings from the plane’s “black box” indicate that shortly after takeoff, the fuel control switches were flipped to the CUTOFF position, halting fuel supply to the engines. Our investigation found that these switches were actually flipped back to turn the fuel supply back on just seconds later. The black box captured an important moment in time. As they approached the airport, one pilot inquired of the other concerning a switch that had recently been toggled. This series of incidents has caused much concern by professionals and defenders across the nation.
The FAA had previously issued an information bulletin in 2018 addressing concerns over the fuel control switch locking feature, underscoring the importance of proper operation during critical flight phases.
According to Ehsan Khalid, a leading aviation analyst, both engines had a loss of power. He said it’s still too early to know why this incident happened. The AAIB report to me is only conclusive in the sense that where was the accident because both engines lost power.
An important point made in the AAIB report was that both pilots were aware of the loss of engine power. Or at least they avoided doing anything that would have been a contributing cause. The order of events creates some serious red flags. The switches were opened within one second of each other, which suggests a rapid cessation of fuel flow.
Geoffrey Dell, an aviation safety expert, told the Post that it would be highly unlikely for both switches to be accidentally flipped. He continued, “There’s no situation on Earth where you would do that immediately after lift-off. You just plug into the terminal and turn the engines off, not until you park the jet at the flight’s end.”
The commission’s final report noted that those on the flight included 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. Tragically, only one passenger survived the crash.
While investigations are still ongoing, India’s Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu advised against jumping to conclusions too early. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here,” he cautioned at a daily press briefing. Understandably, officials are looking closer at the situation that led to this disaster. As such, a detailed report on the incident will not be completed for several months.
