Last month, an Air India flight bound for London crashed shortly after takeoff. Preliminary findings from the U.S. side indicate that the fuel flow switches controlling the engines were turned off, leading to a significant loss of thrust after takeoff. Investigators believe the focus should be on human error rather than the Boeing 787 aircraft itself.
On June 12, an Air India Boeing 787 plane en route to London crashed into a residential area near the Ahmedabad airport shortly after takeoff. Among those on board were 12 crew members, including two pilots, and 230 passengers. Except for one passenger who was thrown from the cabin and survived, the remaining 241 people perished, bringing the total death toll to 260 when including people on the ground.
The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported that preliminary investigations revealed the switches controlling the fuel flow to both engines were in the off position, resulting in a clear loss of engine power shortly after takeoff. These switches are typically used by pilots to start or shut down the engines, or to reset them in specific emergency situations.
Sources familiar with the matter said that these switches should normally remain on during flight, and it is still unclear how or why they were turned off. The sources also indicated that, for now, it is not possible to determine if this was an accidental action or done intentionally, nor is it clear whether the pilots attempted to turn them back on.
If these switches were indeed off, it would explain why, before the aircraft crashed in front of a nearby medical college student dormitory, the emergency power device—known as the Ram Air Turbine (RAT)—appeared to have deployed. In simple terms, the RAT is a small wind-powered turbine that generates electricity; if it is deployed, it means the aircraft had entered a critical emergency.
The United States National Transportation Safety Board is assisting in this investigation, which is being led by India; the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, responsible for the Boeing 787's airworthiness certification and operational licensing, as well as Boeing and GE Aerospace, are providing technical support to Indian authorities. (Source: Central News Agency)