Air India Plane Crash Report: Preliminary Investigation Reignites Scrutiny Of FAA’s 2018 Fuel Switch Warning
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s preliminary report into Air India’s AI171 crash shows the fuel cut-off switches moved seconds after take-off without pilot input.
The fuel control unit installed on the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed outside Ahmedabad last month uses the same part number as one flagged in a 2018 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advisory, civil aviation analyst Captain Sanjay Karve said during a panel discussion on NDTV Profit.
The aircraft, operating as AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed 32 seconds after take-off on June 12. The impact killed 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground. According to the preliminary investigation report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, both engines shut down seconds after take-off as fuel supply was cut off. The report stated that the fuel cut-off switches moved from the ‘RUN’ to the ‘CUTOFF’ position one after the other, with a one-second gap, but neither pilot acknowledged activating them.
The cockpit voice recording revealed brief confusion between the pilots, with one asking, “Why did you cut off?” and the other replying, “I didn’t.” Investigators found that an automatic relight was successful for Engine 1, but Engine 2 did not recover. The aircraft crashed just outside the airport perimeter after a total loss of power.
Karve said the part number listed in the FAA’s 2018 advisory, which addressed fuel control switches failing to stay in position on Boeing 737s, also applies to the fuel control unit used in the Air India 787. “Air India Boeing 787 fuel control unit also has the same part number as the one shown in the FAA advisory list,” he said.
He added that the FAA should have classified the issue more seriously. “Ideally, it should have been an alert bulletin, or at least an airworthiness directive,” Karve said. “By saying that it is advisory, you are leaving it to the airline to take a call.”
Karve also questioned the AAIB’s decision to release only two lines from the cockpit voice recording. “Why is AAIB being very selective in releasing the audio clip of the CVR?… They should have put up the entire thing,” he said.
The AAIB report stated that the Ram Air Turbine, a backup power device, was deployed immediately after take-off, indicating total power loss. The final investigation report is expected within the 12-month period recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization.
