Air India Crash: Pilots' Shocking Exchange Before Disaster REVEALED!
A preliminary report into the devastating Air India Flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad, India, which claimed 260 lives, has uncovered a chilling exchange between the pilots just moments before the disaster. The report, released by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), reveals that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner experienced a sudden and unexplained loss of fuel to both engines shortly after takeoff.
The Fatal Moments: What the Cockpit Voice Recorder Revealed
According to the report, the aircraft's "black box" recorded the fuel control switches being abruptly switched from the "RUN" to the "CUTOFF" position. This action, typically performed only after landing or in emergency situations, starved the engines of fuel and triggered a total power loss. The critical switches were flipped within a second of each other.
What makes the situation even more perplexing is the conversation captured on the cockpit voice recorder. One pilot is heard asking the other why he "did the cut-off," to which the other responded that he did not. The report does not identify which pilot made each statement. The switches were then flipped back to the "RUN" position, and the engines began to relight. However, it was too late to prevent the plane's catastrophic descent.
Unanswered Questions and Ongoing Investigation
The report highlights the fundamental reason for the crash – the sudden loss of fuel – but leaves many questions unanswered. Investigators are now focused on determining how and why the fuel control switches were activated. These switches are designed with a lever-lock mechanism to prevent accidental activation, requiring them to be pulled up to unlock before flipping. The AAIB, along with experts from Boeing, General Electric, Air India, and regulatory bodies from the US and UK, are continuing to analyze the wreckage and cockpit recorders to uncover the truth behind this tragic aviation disaster.
- Key Finding: Fuel supply to both engines was cut off shortly after takeoff.
- Cockpit Recording: Pilots expressed confusion about who activated the fuel cutoff switches.
- Investigation Focus: Determining how and why the switches were flipped.
The crash of Air India Flight 171 marks one of India's most baffling aviation disasters, and the investigation is ongoing to determine the full sequence of events that led to this tragic loss of life.