Preliminary results from the Air India crash investigation have been released, shedding light on the tragedy that claimed 260 lives. Flight AI171 crashed moments after departing Ahmedabad airport last month.
The flight carried passengers from several countries, with only one survivor. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has been analyzing the crash and published early findings on July 11.
The report indicates that the fuel control switches in the Boeing 787 cockpit were switched off, cutting fuel to both engines. Analysis of flight data and cockpit voice recordings showed the switches were flipped from RUN to CUTOFF within one second.
One pilot asked the other why the fuel was cut off, and the other denied doing so.
Due to damage, recovering data from the black boxes was complex and required specialized handling. Captain Steeeve likened the process to carefully unraveling a tangled ball of yarn because of the rapid sequence of events.
Investigators are taking their time to ensure accurate conclusions before releasing full details to the public.