“WHO CUT THE FUEL?”: Air India Crash Report Exposes Cockpit Mystery
In the final moments of Air India Flight 171, a panicked question echoed in the cockpit: “Why did you cut off?” The reply—“I did not do so”—now lies at the heart of an investigation into the June 12 crash that claimed 260 lives .
The Crash Timeline
- 00:00: Takeoff from Ahmedabad at 13:38 local time.
- 00:03: Fuel switches cut off simultaneously. Engines lose power.
- 00:10: “MAYDAY” call transmitted as RAT deploys.
- 00:32: Aircraft hits ground at 220 knots .
Voices from the Ground
- Grieving Families: Relatives like Badasab Syed, who lost four family members, lamented, “Was this avoidable?” 5.
- Regulatory Response: India’s aviation minister urged patience, while pilot unions criticized the AAIB for “presuming crew guilt” .
Critical Safety Loopholes
- Switch Design: The 787’s fuel switches have metal guards and require lifting to move, making accidental activation unlikely .
- FAA’s Unheeded Warning: A 2018 bulletin noted “locking feature disengagement” risks but mandated no fixes. Air India skipped optional inspections .
- Training Gaps: No simulator scenarios cover dual-engine cutoff during climb, per pilot sources .
Industry Fallout
- Boeing’s Silence: The manufacturer faces renewed scrutiny after 737 MAX crises but stated it “supports the investigation” .
- Air India’s Crisis: Parent company Tata Group battles reputational damage amid fleet modernization .
Conclusion
With the final report months away, the aviation world grapples with two haunting possibilities: a catastrophic human error or an undetected system flaw. For now, the switches’ movement remains “inexplicable”—a term repeated three times in the AAIB’s 15-page document