The Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad last month may have been caused by mechanical problems or a power issue, according to aviation experts. They believe this might have led to the sudden change in the position of switches that control fuel to the engines.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) shared a preliminary report that says the fuel switches for both engines were turned off just one second apart, shortly before the plane crashed on June 12.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was heading to London when it lost engine power soon after takeoff. It crashed into a medical college hostel, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground. This was the deadliest plane crash in India in ten years.
Captain C S Randhawa, head of the Federation of Indian Pilots, said the fuel switches can only be moved by hand and are designed to prevent accidental changes. They are normally used if both engines fail or if pilots are trying to restart them.
He said it’s unclear why the fuel switches were changed, and power supply problems could also be a reason. He explained that pilots usually follow a strict confirmation process before turning off a fuel switch.
In this flight, the first officer was flying and the captain was monitoring. The report does not clarify if the control of the aircraft changed hands or if a mistake was made.
A former official from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the key question is why the fuel switches were turned off — whether it was a mechanical issue, a human error, or a software problem. So far, the report does not mention any earlier problems with the switches.
A senior Boeing pilot said it’s still unclear why the switches were turned off. It might have happened by accident.
One investigator noted that the aircraft reached its top speed of 180 knots before both engine fuel switches moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” within one second of each other. The engines then started losing power.
The cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot asking the other, “Why did you cut off?” The other pilot replied, “I didn’t.”
Further investigation is expected to reveal the exact cause in the coming months.
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