3 Major Things Uncovered by Investigation into Air India Plane Crash

• The India Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has submitted its preliminary report on the Air India plane crash
• The report published by the AAIB has been described as stunning by some aviation experts who have read it
• Also, the Indian Commercial Pilots' Association (ICPA) attacked the AAIB, accusing it of unethical reporting

The India Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) investigating the cause of the Air India plane crash made public its findings on Saturday, July 12.

The report was published exactly one month after the devastating tragedy that happened at Ahmedabad and claimed at least 270 lives.

Meanwhile, the findings of the report are generating many reactions from aviation stakeholders and analysts.

One person who has reacted to the report is Captain Steve, an American aviation expert, pilot and YouTuber, who said it was stunning.

He said:

"The information we are now gleaning from the preliminary report that has been handed over from the AAIB to the Indian Government is nothing short of stunning."

Also, the Indian Commercial Pilots' Association (ICPA) said the pilots of the doomed Air India plane should not be vilified by the AAIB report.

The pilots' body accused the AAIB of unethical reporting, noting that the association was deeply disturbed by the findings, per the BBC.

It defended the late pilots and cabin crew:

The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association (ICPA) said the crew "acted in line with their training and responsibilities under challenging conditions and the pilots shouldn't be vilified based on conjecture. To casually suggest pilot su!cide without verified evidence is a gross violation of ethical reporting and a disservice to the dignity of the profession. Let us be unequivocally clear: there is absolutely no basis for such a claim at this stage, and invoking such a serious allegation based on incomplete or preliminary information is not only irresponsible - it is deeply insensitive to the individuals and families involved."

What are the major findings of the AAIB on Air India plane crash?

At least three things were made clear by the AAIB after it went through the cockpit recordings and other evidence available to it.

1. Boeing Dreamliner engines were starved of fuel

According to the AAIB, shortly after the London-bound flight AI117 departed the Ahmedabad Airport, the two engines of the airplane stopped receiving fuel supply.

This was because the fuel control switches transitioned from 'run' to 'cut off'.

Experts have explained that when the fuel control switches are placed in the 'run' position, it means that the engines would get fuel supply, but if they are in 'cut off' positions, no fuel would be supplied to the engines, and this would result in an abrupt shutdown.

The AAIB stated:

It says both engines’ fuel cutoff switches were “transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 sec."

The report did not say how this happened, nor did it say it was the pilots who did it.

2. One pilot asked the other a question

One other thing the report revealed was that the two pilots in charge of the flight discussed the fuel problem.

They had a conversation during which one of them asked the other 'why did he cut off', but the pilot to whom the question was directed denied cutting off fuel from the engines.

The report, however, did not mention the pilot who asked the question or who issued a denial between Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder. The conversation was retrieved from the voice recording stored in the cockpit of the airplane.

The report states:

"The Engine N1 and N2 began to decrease from their take-off values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off. In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut-off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so."

3. Fuel switches found in right positions at crash site

Despite the fact that the AAIB said the fuel switches transitioned from 'run' to 'cut off' mid-flight, it still maintained that they were found in the correct positions at the crash site.

It says:

“When fuel control switches are moved from CUTOFF to RUN while the aircraft is inflight, each engines full authority dual engine control automatically manages a relight and thrust recovery sequence of ignition and fuel introduction."

Meanwhile, speaking on his YouTube channel, aviation analyst Captain Steve said it is impossible to switch off fuel inadvertently in an aircraft.

He said:

"There is no procedure and there never has been any procedure or any mistake possible that those fuel control switches will be place from run to cut off just after rotating on an aircraft. There is just isn't."

The AAIB, however, did not directly blame Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder.

Pilot arrested in Chile

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a teenager who is a trained pilot and who is attempting to fly all seven continents solo is now under arrest in Chile.

Ethan Guo, 19, was arrested by authorities in the South American country after allegedly changing his flight plan without permission.

Guo states he is trying to raise $1 million for cancer research by flying to all seven continents solo.

Source: Legit.ng