Air India Crash: What AAIB report confirms, what is this rule, what is still unanswered. Bharat News
In its first official account of the June 12 accident, in which 260 people were killed in Ahmedabad, a 15-page report in Air India Flight 171 by the Air India Flight 171. The Boeing 787–8 Dreamliner was submerged in the moments of a medical college hostel after the takeoff, one of the worst aviation tragedies in India in decades and globally a Dreamliner’s first fatal accident.The report is reduced by blaming, but underlines a cooling sequence of events: both engine fuel control switches were moved from “run” to “cutoff” within a second of each other, keeping the fuel engines hungry. Cockpit voice recording captured a pilot, asked the other why he had stopped fuel. The other refused to do so.
Despite the resumption of both engines, the aircraft was completely recovered before the aircraft was completely crashed. The switches were later found back to “run” position. While mechanical failure, bird strike and fuel contamination have been denied, the mystery of how the switch was transferred, its secret motivates the call to the forensic analysis and the identity of the voice.
What reports the report answers
What did the dual engine flame trigger?About seven seconds after the lift-off, both fuel switches were cut into cutoffs in less than a second, depriving fuel engines and causing loud damage. Ram Air Turbine (RAT) came into action to supply emergency power – which was captured by CCTV footage immediately thereafter.Did the pilots attempt to resume the engine?Yes. The Enhanced Airborn Flight Recorder (EAFR) suggests that about 10 seconds after the cutoff, both returned to run the switch, and an engine began to recover. However, the height for complete restoration of the thrust before crashed was inadequate.Was fuel contamination a factor?No. DGCA lab tests on samples from fuel -filling boauzers and tanks found fuel satisfactory.What did Cockpit audio reveal?CVR captured a pilot, “Why did you bite?” With the response, “I didn’t do so,” but the identity was not entrusted to the speaker.Was the aircraft Airworth?Yes. All compulsory checks were completed. However, an advisor issued by the FAA in 2018, related to fuel switch locking mechanism, was not acted upon by the FAA, as it was classified as non-respective form. Toi reported that VT-AAB started undergoing through throttle control modules replacement in 2019 and 2023, since no fuel switch defect, TOI said that ..Was flight crew and procedures followed?The two pilots passed the former-objection Breethaliser test and were seen on the CCTV pre-department. Captain, Sumate Sabarwal, had over 15,000 flight hours (8,600 at 787), while the first officer Clive Kunder had 3,400 hours. Sabharwal was monitoring, Kundar was flying.
Is it still uncertain
Can the engine electronic control unit (ECU) make a mistake?TOI reports that experienced commanders referred to a combined FAA-GE service bulletin of 2021, recommending the replacement of the engine “MN4 microprocessor” on the ECU of the engine-Milap-thread fatigue could be indicated due to thermal cycling that can give rise to electrical defects. A failure here can trigger unexpected switch activation.Why was the landing gear not taken back?The report states that the gear was still down. One theory is that the crew was busy with engine failure processes and had no opportunity to withdraw gear. Audit tapes do not mention “positive climbing” or “gear up” calls.Why is there no cockpit video?The BBC reported that experts such as NTSB Peter Goelase have reduced the lack of visual cockpit recording, which can definitely identify who the switch transferred, the BBC said.Could it be an electrical mess?Former AAIB investigator Captain Kishore Chinta, while speaking with the BBC, raised the question whether ECU or other systems can electronically trip to fuel switch – a microprocessoring doubt.Was the emergency locator transmitter (ELT) on?Captain Amit Singh told TOI that ELT failed to emit a crisis signal – despite the impact of 3.2 to 3.5 grams it was triggered. He also questioned the discrepancies in the deficiency of the rat and the lack of cockpit conversation timestamps.Who is on the investigative panel?Toi also said that Captain Sam Thomas of the airline pilot Association of India expressed doubt about the specialization of the AAIB team. AAIB has since confirmed the inclusion of content experts: pilots, engineers, aviation medical experts and core test team supporting flight-rigging experts.When is the final report required?According to AAIB, a comprehensive report is scheduled to take place by 12 June 2026. Till then, security instructions have been issued for 787–8 operators or GE’s GenX -1B engine, nor has been declared a definite reason.
