E-Paper
Initial probe report on Air India crash recommends no action on Boeing 787-8 operators, for now
One of the findings in the AAIB report shows both engines of the Air India Dreamliner shut down mid-air just seconds after take-off.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its preliminary report into the tragic crash of Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft.
The aircraft, bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12.
According to the report, the AAIB hasn't recommended any action for the manufacturer or operators of the B787-8 aircraft at the current stage of the investigation. The development comes amid huge backlash against Boeing over the deadly crash.
General Electric, the manufacturer of the GE GEnx-1B engine, has also received a similar relief, for now.
In the report, released shortly after midnight on Saturday, one of the findings shows both engines of the Air India Dreamliner shut down mid-air just seconds after take-off.
According to the AAIB's findings on the Boeing 787-8 crash—which claimed 260 lives, including 241 of the 242 people on board — the fuel cutoff switches that regulate fuel supply to the engines shifted from the 'RUN' position to the 'CUTOFF' position almost simultaneously, within a second of each other.
The shutdown triggered the deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT), and the aircraft began losing altitude almost immediately, unable to sustain powered flight.
“As per the EAFR (Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder), the Engine 1 fuel cutoff switch transitioned from CUTOFF to RUN at about 08:08:52 UTC. The APU Inlet Door began opening at about 08:08:54 UTC, consistent with the APU Auto Start logic. Thereafter, at 08:08:56 UTC, the Engine 2 fuel cutoff switch also transitions from CUTOFF to RUN. When fuel control switches are moved from CUTOFF to RUN while the aircraft is in flight, each engine's full authority dual engine control (FADEC) automatically manages a relight and thrust recovery sequence of ignition and fuel introduction,” the preliminary report said.
Did the Air India flight pass safety checks?
The Air India plane, registered as VT-ANB, had been in service since 2013 and had recently cleared routine maintenance checks. Investigators confirmed that all Airworthiness Directives were complied with, the fuel met quality standards, and there were no signs of any technical glitches in the engines or flight control systems leading up to the crash.
The pilot-in-command, 56-year-old captain Sumeet Sabharwal, with over 15,000 flying hours, and co-pilot Clive Kunder, 32, with over 3,400 hours, were both fully qualified and had no recent duty irregularities or medical issues reported.
