As of today (July 11), it has been a month since the Air India plane crash and investigations are still ongoing. The first batch of official clues is expected to be released in the coming days.
The Air India plane crash occurred on the afternoon of June 12. The Air India AI-171 flight was originally scheduled to fly from Ahmedabad in southern India to Gatwick Airport in London. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was carrying a total of 242 people, including crew members.
Just 30 seconds after takeoff, the plane lost power and crashed into a student dormitory building near the airport. The accident resulted in the deaths of a total of 260 people, including all passengers and ground personnel except one.
According to sources familiar with the preliminary assessment by American officials reported by The Wall Street Journal, the focus of the investigation is currently on the pilot’s actions, with no issues found with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The initial investigation results indicate that the switches controlling the fuel flow to the two engines were closed, leading to a significant loss of power shortly after takeoff. Pilots use these switches to start, stop, or reset engines in certain emergency situations.
It is reported that these switches are normally in the open position during flight, and it is still unclear how or why they were closed. The sources also mentioned that it is not yet clear whether this was accidental or intentional, or if someone attempted to reopen them.
If the switches were closed, this might explain why the plane’s emergency generator and ram air turbine (RAT) seemed to start in the moments before the crash.
Air India officials described the pilot of the flight, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, as having tens of thousands of hours of experience flying wide-body or large aircraft, and his co-pilot Clive Kunder had over 3,400 hours of flying experience.
International accident investigations typically involve multiple countries, including the country where the accident occurred and the country that approved the design of the involved aircraft. Sometimes, there may be discrepancies in obtaining information and analyzing the found facts.
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is providing support for the Indian-led investigation. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that certified the 787 Dreamliner for passenger service, as well as Boeing and GE Aerospace, are assisting Indian authorities with technical support.
The Dreamliner entered service in 2011 and is commonly used by major airlines worldwide for international long-haul flights, boasting an excellent safety record. Boeing delivered this aircraft to Air India in January 2014.
This week, senior officials from the Air Accident Investigation Bureau of India (AAIB) stated that the preliminary investigation report of the plane crash en route to London will be made public in the coming days. According to the Hindustan Times, Indian Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu stated on Friday that the report will be released “soon”.