The preliminary report from the Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau revealed that the Air India jet, which crashed after taking off from Ahmedabad for London, lost engine power due to a pilot intentionally cutting off the fuel supply. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner went down 30 seconds post-takeoff, resulting in 260 fatalities. The report indicates that both fuel cutoff switches for the engine were moved from “run” to “cutoff” positions within one second of each other.
Co-pilot Clive Kunder was flying under Captain Sumeet Sabharwal’s supervision at the time of the accident. Audio recordings from the cockpit captured confusion about the fuel cutoff. The plane crashed into a medical student hostel, and only one survivor was reported among the 242 passengers onboard, which included various nationalities.
The investigation did not determine how the switches were altered but emphasized that the fuel supply switch, designed for emergency situations, requires intentional action to operate. The report exonerated Boeing, stating no significant aircraft or engine damage was found and no mechanical failures had occurred. Industry experts reiterated that moving the switches accidentally is highly unlikely, suggesting pilot error as the primary cause.
Source link
