A preliminary investigation into the Air India plane crash that killed 260 people on June 12 has revealed that the aircraft’s fuel control switches were moved to the “CUTOFF” position just before it went down.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India released the findings on Saturday.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was flying from Ahmedabad to London when it crashed shortly after takeoff. Of the 242 people on board, only one survived. Nineteen others were killed on the ground.
According to the report, both engines lost fuel supply after the switches were moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” within one second of each other. Cockpit audio recordings captured one pilot asking the other why the fuel had been cut off. The second pilot responded that he had not done it.
Although the engines briefly regained power after the switches returned to “RUN,” a “MAYDAY” distress call was made shortly before the plane lost altitude and crashed.
Air traffic controllers attempted to contact the flight but witnessed the crash and immediately called emergency responders.
The AAIB report also noted that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had issued a bulletin in 2018 warning about possible problems with the locking mechanism of the fuel switches. While this bulletin did not require action, Air India said it did not carry out the recommended checks because they were considered advisory.
The report stated that Air India followed all mandatory safety requirements and found no technical issues with the aircraft or its engines. No safety warnings were issued to other operators of the Boeing 787-8 or GE engines.
The investigation is still ongoing. Authorities from the United States and United Kingdom are helping with the probe. Boeing and Air India both said they are cooperating fully.
