After preliminary reports of an Indian Air crash killed more than 200 people last month, the plane’s engine fuel cutoff switch went from running to cutoff almost simultaneously, leaving the fuel engine starving to death.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner immediately began losing thrust and sinking, according to a report released by Indian Aviation Accident Investigator on Saturday.
A pilot can be heard on the cockpit recorder asking another pilot why he was cutting off the fuel. “Another pilot replied that he did not do this,” the report said.
It did not determine what the flight captain said, and which of the emergency officers said “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday” before the crash.
At the crash site, two fuel switches were found in the operating position, and the report said there were signs that both engines were reconstituting a restart before the low-altitude crash.
Both pilots are experienced pilots, with a total flight time between them being about 19,000, including over 9,000 out of 787.
The preliminary report has not yet said how the switch will flip during a flight from the Indian city of Ahmedabad to London on June 12.
Anthony Brickhouse, an American aviation safety expert, said a key question is why the switch moves in ways that are inconsistent with normal operation.
“Do they move alone or because of a pilot?” he asked. “If they were moved out for pilots, why?”
“You can’t bump them, they move”: Experts
American aviation safety expert John Cox told Reuters that pilots will not be able to accidentally move the fuel switch that supplies the engine. He said, “You can’t hit them, they move.”
Flip to cut off the engine almost immediately. Once the plane reaches the airport gate, it is usually used to shut down the engine in certain emergencies, such as an engine fire. The report does not indicate whether there are any emergency situations that require engine cutoff.
“At this stage of the investigation, there is no recommendation for Boeing 787-8 and/or GEGENX-1B engine operators and manufacturers,” said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau in India. The agency, the office under the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation, is guiding the investigation into the world’s deadliest aviation accidents for a decade.
Air India, Boeing and GE did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Black box recovered after crash
The two black boxes of the plane, both a combination of a cockpit recorder and a flight data recorder, were restored a few days after the crash and were later downloaded in India.
The black box provides crucial data such as altitude, airspeed and ultimate pilot conversations that help narrow down possible causes of the collapse.
Under international rules, most air collapses are caused by a variety of factors and expire 30 days after the accident, and a final report is expected within one year.
Air India has been under severe scrutiny since the crash.
The EU Aviation Safety Agency said that after Reuters reported that the airline did not follow the directive to change the engine part of the Airbus A320 in a timely manner, it plans to investigate the airline’s budget unit, Indian Express, and promptly change the engine part of the Airbus A320 and forge records to show compliance.
India’s aviation regulator also warned Air India for violating regulations, requiring three Airbus planes, and conducting expired inspections on escape slides, and in June warned the pilot of a “serious violation” of the timing of the pilot’s responsibility.
The National Transportation Safety Commission declined to comment on the release of the report.
