Fuel Supply to Air India Jet Cut Moments Before Crash, Preliminary Investigation Report
A preliminary investigation report into the fatal crash of an Air India flight on June 12 has revealed that the fuel control switches to both engines were moved from “run” to “cutoff” moments before the aircraft plummeted to the ground, killing 260 people. The report, issued by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Saturday, sheds light on the final moments before the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad en route to London.
The aircraft was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members. Among those on board were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. Tragically, only one passenger survived the crash — a British national who was later discharged from the hospital. Additionally, 19 people on the ground were killed, and dozens more were injured.
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According to the 15-page preliminary report, the aircraft had reached its top recorded speed when, with a one-second gap, the fuel cutoff switches for both engines were manually moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF.” The cockpit voice recorder captured one of the pilots asking the other why the fuel was cut off. The second pilot responded, claiming he had not touched the switches.
Following the unexpected shutdown, the engines appeared to regain power as the switches were returned to the “RUN” position. However, shortly after, a distress call was transmitted from the cockpit: “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY.” Before air traffic controllers could get clarification on the situation, they witnessed the aircraft lose altitude rapidly and crash, prompting an immediate emergency response.
While the report does not assign blame or provide a final conclusion, it identifies the sequence of events leading to the loss of control. It also highlights the fact that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had issued a safety bulletin in 2018, warning about the potential disengagement of the locking mechanism for the fuel control switches on Boeing 787 aircraft.
Although the FAA did not categorize the issue as an “unsafe condition” that would require a mandatory airworthiness directive, it advised operators to inspect the fuel switch locking feature. Air India, however, told investigators that it did not carry out the suggested inspections since they were considered advisory and not mandatory.
The AAIB clarified that Air India was in full compliance with all relevant airworthiness directives and manufacturer-issued bulletins. There were no recommendations made for changes to the Boeing 787-8 aircraft or the GE GEnx-1B engines, suggesting that no systemic technical faults had been identified with the aircraft or its engines.
The probe remains ongoing, and the AAIB has requested further information from multiple stakeholders, including Boeing and engine manufacturer GE. Boeing said in a statement that it continues to support the investigation and reiterated that its thoughts remain with the families and individuals affected by the tragedy.
International agencies, including the US and British air accident investigators, are also participating in the investigation. As required by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the preliminary report was released within 30 days of the accident.
Experts caution that a full investigation will likely take several months or more, and the current focus on the movement of the fuel switches could shift as more data becomes available. Aviation sources told The Air Current earlier this week that the investigation has so far zeroed in on how and why the switches were disengaged, with no signs yet of a technical fault.
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