Investigators probing the catastrophic crash of Air India flight AI-171 are examining the possible mismanagement of engine fuel control switches, with aviation insiders suggesting that pilot error may be a significant line of inquiry.
The revelation comes via a report in The Air Current, a respected aviation publication, which cited “multiple people with knowledge of the investigation”. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) is expected to release its preliminary findings this week, though no official date has been announced by the board or the Civil Aviation Ministry.
India, as a signatory to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), is obliged to publish a preliminary crash report within 30 days. With the crash having occurred on 12 June, it is widely anticipated that the report may be released by 11 July.
AI-171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner operating a scheduled flight from Ahmedabad to London-Gatwick, crashed just 35 seconds after take-off, killing 260 people, including 241 on board. One passenger reportedly survived. The remaining casualties occurred on the ground.
While The Air Current does not directly assign blame, its emphasis on the fuel-control switch mechanism suggests the crash may have resulted from cockpit error rather than mechanical failure.
Independent aviation experts noted that in the event of an engine failure, standard procedure involves switching off fuel flow to the affected engine. “It is conceivable that one of the pilots accidentally switched off the fuel supply to the wrong engine,” one analyst suggested. This could have resulted in both engines being non-functional, a critical error during the high-risk phase of take-off when time and altitude are minimal.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner operates on twin General Electric Aerospace GEnx-1B engines. Restarting an engine in-flight is not immediate and requires a checklist process. With the aircraft flying at a low altitude shortly after take-off, relighting a switched-off engine may not have been feasible.
Also read: Air India crash: Preliminary report submitted to Centre
Significantly, the report notes that neither Boeing nor General Electric have issued any safety advisory, known in industry circles as a “multi-operator message” (MOM), in the 13 days since the AAIB completed initial analysis of the black box on 25 June. This silence is being interpreted by experts as an indication that no immediate evidence of a mechanical fault has been found.
The Air Current added, “The lack of any kind of advisory warning from Boeing or GE operators... is a key signal that a mechanical failure is not immediately suspected as the likely cause of the crash.”
The final investigation report is expected to take several more months. Whether the preliminary report will confirm suspicions of human error or leave the question open remains to be seen.
This tragedy marked the first-ever crash involving a Boeing 787 and has reignited debate over safety protocols and pilot training on modern long-haul aircraft.
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