Air India crash report reveals fuel control switches were briefly cut off after takeoff, causing engine power loss. Photo/X.
Air India Preliminary Crash Report: Investigators who were probing the Air India crash that claimed 260 lives in Ahmedabad have revealed in its report that seconds after takeoff, the Boeing 787’s engine fuel control switches were briefly switched off, cutting off fuel supply to the engines.
Fuel control switches used by pilots regulate the flow of fuel into an aircraft’s engines. Pilots use these switches to start or shut down engines on the ground, or to manually shut down or restart engines in case of an engine failure during flight.
According to aviation experts, it is next to impossible that a pilot could accidentally move these switches while the plane is operating. However, if they are moved, the engine power is cut off immediately without delay.
John Cox, a USaviation safety expert explained to Reuters that the fuel cutoff switches and the fuel valves they control have independent power systems and wiring, ensuring direct control over fuel flow.
Also Read: Who Were The Pilots Flying The Air India Flight That Crashed In Ahmedabad?
On a Boeing 787, such as the one involved in the Air India cAhmedabad rash equipped with two General Electric engines, the fuel control switches are located below the thrust levers in the cockpit.
The switches are spring-loaded to maintain their position securely. To move a switch from the ‘RUN’ to the ‘CUTOFF’ position, a pilot must first pull the switch up, then move it between the two modes – ‘CUTOFF’ and ‘RUN’.
The preliminary report, based on flight recorder data, reveals that a few seconds after takeoff, the fuel control switches for both engines were switched from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ one after another, within a a second. This caused the engines to lose power rapidly.
The cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot asking the other why the fuel had been cut off. The second pilot responded with saying he did not switch off the fuel. The report does not specify which pilot was speaking what.
The reports reveals that, seconds later, the switches were moved back to the ‘RUN’ position. At the crash site, investigators found both fuel control switches in the ‘RUN’ position.
The report explains that when the switches are flipped from ‘CUTOFF’ back to ‘RUN’ during flight, the engine control system automatically initiates a relight and thrust recovery sequence, reigniting the engines and restoring fuel flow.
Also Read: Ahmedabad Plane Crash Probe Report LIVE Updates: Investigation Reveals Fuel Cutoff To Both Engines
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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