Air India pilots' last chilling conversation before crash revealed in initial report
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Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Air India to start restoring its international flight schedule from August 1; was curtailed in wake of AI 171 crash
Air India will start from August 1 the partial restoration of its international wide-body schedule that had been truncated by about 15 per cent due to the airline taking a 'safety pause' after the June 12 crash of its Ahmedabad-London Gatwick flight AI 171 operated by a Boeing 787 aircraft. The full restoration of the airline's international wide-body schedule is expected from October. The announcement comes a few days after the preliminary report into the AI 171 crash came out. The accident claimed 260 lives—241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on ground. The report identified the primary trigger of the accident—both engine fuel control switches transitioning from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' in quick succession moments after lift-off. The causes behind the fuel control switch transition are what the investigators are now focussing on. The preliminary report did not find any fault with Air India, and did not have any recommendation for other operators of the Boeing 787 aircraft or its GE engines. Apart from enhanced safety inspections of the Air India's Boeing 787 fleet mandated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) after the Ahmedabad air crash the airline also decided to do its own voluntary checks and adopt a cautious approach in flight operations, leading to delays and cancellations in the week that followed the crash. Airspace closures over Pakistan and parts of West Asia and night curfews at several overseas airports compounded the disruption. In view of these factors, the Tata group airline had announced on June 18 that it was cutting wide-body international flights by 15 per cent. 'That (safety) pause enabled Air India to perform additional precautionary checks on its Boeing 787 aircraft as well as accommodating longer flying times arising from airspace closures over Pakistan and the Middle East. The partial resumption will see restoration of some frequencies from 1st August, relative to July, with full restoration planned from 1st October 2025,' the airline said Tuesday in a release. The restoration will also see a few changes from the earlier schedule. For instance, the five-times-a-week Ahmedabad-London Gatwick service will be replaced by a thrice-weekly service to London Heathrow from August 1. Delhi-London Heathrow and Delhi-Zurich flight frequencies are being reinstated to weekly 24 flights and five flights, respectively. Delhi-Tokyo Haneda and Delhi-Seoul flights, whose weekly frequencies had been reduced by two flights each, are being reinstated to seven and five weekly flights, respectively. The airline is also reinstating its thrice-weekly Delhi-Nairobi service till August-end, after which it will be suspended for the whole of September. Most other routes on which flights were reduced will stay at the current frequency levels till September-end. There are also a few routes on which there is a further reduction in flights. For instance, the Delhi-Paris route will have seven weekly flights instead of 12, Delhi-Milan will have three weekly flights instead of four, Delhi-New York (JFK) and Mumbai-New York (JFK) will have six weekly frequencies each instead of seven, and Delhi-Newark flights will reduce to four a week from five. Temporary suspension of three routes—Goa (Mopa)-London Gatwick, Bengaluru-Singapore, and Pune-Singapore—will remain in place till September-end. 'As the schedule reductions taken as part of the Safety Pause had been implemented until 31 July 2025 and the restoration to full operation is being phased, some services initially planned to operate between 1 August and 30 September 2025 will be removed from the schedule. Air India is proactively contacting affected passengers to offer re-booking on alternative flights or a full refund, as per their preference. Air India apologises for the inconvenience,' the airline said. Sukalp Sharma is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and writes on a host of subjects and sectors, notably energy and aviation. He has over 13 years of experience in journalism with a body of work spanning areas like politics, development, equity markets, corporates, trade, and economic policy. He considers himself an above-average photographer, which goes well with his love for travel. ... Read More
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First Post
8 hours ago
- First Post
Air India crash: Are Boeing's fuel switches faulty? Could it have caused the tragedy?
After the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, the Indian aviation regulator and other airlines across the world have ordered checks of the fuel control switches in their Boeing planes. This comes after the fuel switches have come under scrutiny following the initial investigation into the accident. An old advisory that flagged issues with the mechanism of these cogs has also resurfaced read more Remains of the Air India plane that crashed moments after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport, Thursday in June. File image/PTI Days after the preliminary report on Air India Flight AI-171, which crashed in Ahmedabad in June, highlighted the role of fuel switches, many airlines within India as well as abroad are now investigating this mechanism. India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has ordered all airlines, which operate the Boeing's 787 and 737, to check fuel control switch locking mechanisms on them by July 21. Moreover, Etihad Airlines and other major airlines across the world have also started checking the locking mechanism in the fuel switches. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But why? What's going on? We get you the answers. Checks ordered for fuel switches in India and abroad On Monday (July 14), the DGCA ordered all airlines to check fuel switch locking system in Boeing 787, 737 planes in the aftermath of the deadly Air India plane crash that killed 241 passengers on board. The Indian aviation regulator has asked airlines to complete these checks by July 21, next Monday. Currently, only two Indian airlines operate these variants of the plane — Air India and IndiGo. An NDTV report states that Air India has completed checks on 50 per cent of the fleet in question with no malfunctions being found as of yet in the fuel switch's locking mechanism. Notably, Etihad Airlines and airline operators in South Korea have also been asked to carry out checks on fuel control switches. Korean Air Lines, in fact, on Tuesday, announced that it had begun inspecting fuel control switches and would implement any additional requirements the transport ministry may have. Additionally, even Singapore Airlines have started the process. Bloomberg also reported that Oman Air has also completed checks on fuel switches, while Saudi is checking its jets. The investigation underway at the site of the Air India plane crash, in Ahmedabad. PTI Reasons for the checks The DGCA's order and the other checks being carried out comes after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's preliminary report, released last Saturday (July 12), stated that both of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner's fuel-control switches moved to the 'cutoff' position. This led to the airplane's engines being starved of fuel and lose power. Moreover, the cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot asking the other why he had cut off the fuel in the final moments before the crash. The other pilot responded that he had not done so, the report revealed, raising questions about the position of the critical engine fuel cutoff switches. The report doesn't clarify who or how the fuel switches jumped from 'run' to 'cutoff' just after takeoff. Fuel control switches, located on the critical cockpit control panel, are used to start or shut down engines on the ground. What is very important to note here is that these switches cannot be accidentally or gently moved by pilots operating a flight. The fuel cutoff switches are spring-loaded to remain firmly in place. A pilot must first pull the switch up before moving it from the 'run' to the 'cutoff' position, or vice versa. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had flagged a potential issue with fuel control switches on Boeing airplanes in 2018. In a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB), NM-18-33, indicated that there was a potential equipment malfunction with the fuel switches. The bulletin had flagged the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature on certain models of Boeing aircraft, including 787s and 737s. In a recommendation, the FAA wrote, 'Inspect the locking feature of the fuel control switch to ensure its engagement. While the airplane is on the ground, check whether the fuel control switch can be moved between the two positions without lifting up the switch. If the switch can be moved without lifting it up, the locking feature has been disengaged and the switch should be replaced at the earliest opportunity.' The wreckage of the Air India plane that crashed moments after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport, lies on a building, in Ahmedabad. Both switches feeding fuel to the two engines of Air India flight 171 were cut off followed before the plane crashed in Ahmedabad, seconds after taking off, the first investigation report into the crash has revealed. PTI What is notable is that at the time, the FAA did not consider it to be an unsafe condition. Moreover, the AAIB noted that the 'airworthiness concern was not considered an unsafe condition' and Air India did not carry out the inspections as the 'as the SAIB was advisory and not mandatory'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The AAIB noted that the throttle control module was replaced on VT-ANB in 2019 and 2023. However, the reason for the replacement was not linked to the fuel control switch. There has been no defect reported pertaining to the fuel control switch since 2023 on VT-ANB,' the AAIB report says. Notably, this is not the first time that airlines and regulators worldwide have stepped away from FAA directives to independently take decisions impacting flight safety. In 2019, various governments and regulators ignored the FAA after an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX aircraft crashed. But it wasn't just the US FAA that had issued a bulletin on the fuel switches in Boeing aircraft. It has now emerged that the UK Civil Aviation Authority warned about a similar fuel system flaw. On May 15, 2024, the UK regulator issued a directive to operators of five Boeing aircraft variants urging them to review and address a US Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Directive. The FAA directive had flagged fuel shutoff valve actuators, critical to preventing fuel leaks and engine shutdowns, as a potential safety concern. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The CAA notice explicitly listed the Boeing 737, 757, 767, 777, and 787 models and directed airlines to take mandatory action by either testing, inspecting, or replacing fuel shutoff valve actuators on affected planes as a precaution. Moreover, the safety notice specifically ordered daily checks of the fuel shutoff valves to mitigate any risks. With inputs from agencies
NDTV
10 hours ago
- NDTV
Air India Crash Report Raises Questions, Has No Answers: Global Pilots' Body
The preliminary report into the probe of an Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad last month raises several questions but does not provide any answers, the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) has said. The global body for pilots also said that any extrapolation of the content of the interim report can only be regarded as guesswork and may hamper the course of investigation. It said it is committed to support the efforts of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and that the families of the victims deserve "our collective professionalism" as the entire investigation is conducted. The statement, on Monday, came days after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Sunday released its preliminary probe report that indicated a possible fuel switch as the reason behind the June 12 crash that was one of the deadliest in recent times. The report sparked criticisms and a massive debate over the actions of the pilots, besides raising serious concerns. "As a reminder, a Preliminary Report is merely the means of communication used for the prompt dissemination of data obtained during the early stages of the investigation and only contains factual information and an indication of the progress of the investigation. In accordance with the provisions of ICAO Annex 13, such Reports are published within thirty days of the occurrence," the statement said. "Whilst this preliminary Report by its very nature raises many questions, it does not provide answers, and any extrapolation of its content can only be regarded as guesswork, which is not helpful to the good conduct of the investigation. IFALPA also notes that the Report clearly states that no safety recommendations are being provided at this stage," it added. The association urged all parties to refrain from speculation, allow the investigation to run its full and proper course, and avoid drawing conclusions from the preliminary report. London-bound AI 171 crashed into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College doctors in Meghaninagar area, seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad airport, before going up in flames. Only one of the 242 passengers and crew members onboard survived the accident. The remaining victims were from those in the college and around the premises. Nine students and their relatives from the institute were among those who were killed in the accident on the ground. In its first investigation report, the AAIB said both switches feeding fuel to the two engines of London-bound Air India flight 171 were cut off followed by pilot confusion, before the aircraft crashed seconds after taking off on June 12. It said that one pilot asked why he had shut off the fuel, and the other responded he didn't do it. "The aircraft achieved the maximum recorded airspeed of 180 Knots IAS at about 08:08:42 UTC and immediately thereafter, the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 sec," the report said. As per the report, 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 cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so," it said. In the report of the fatal accident, AAIB also said fuel samples taken from bowsers and tanks used to refuel the aircraft were tested at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation laboratory and were found satisfactory. On Sunday, several experts, including AAIB chief Aurobindo Handa, said it will be too premature to draw conclusions on the role of pilots from the preliminary investigation report. Earlier on NDTV, Captain Mohan Ranganathan, one of India's leading aviation experts and an ex-instructor of Boeing 737, made a stunning claim that the crash may have been the result of deliberate human action because the fuel switches can only be moved "manually". Former pilots and aviation experts have, however, strongly opposed this view.
