Fuel cut-off switches activated moments before Air India crash that killed 260, says probe
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Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Al Arabiya
King Charles' annual swan census begins on the River Thames
Scarlet uniforms flashed against the riverbank. Wooden skiffs glided in formation. A young swan gently lifted from the water was measured, inspected, and released. The annual five-day census of swans belonging to King Charles III – known as Swan Upping – began Monday on the River Thames to assess their health. One of the British monarch's less-known titles is Seigneur of the Swans—Lord of the Swans—and according to ancient lore, he or she owns all members of the mute swan species found in Britain's open waters. Every year, a team of carefully selected oarsmen—Swan Uppers—are tasked with finding the swans on a stretch of the Thames. When a family is spotted, they shout, 'All up!' and the boats quickly surround the birds, marking them and checking for signs of disease or injury. 'It gives us an indication of what's going on throughout the country,' said David Barber, who wears a scarlet jacket and a white swan feather in his cap and bears the title of King's Swan Marker. 'It's a tradition, but I think it's serving a very useful purpose as well.' Barber has been leading the event for more than 30 years. He is accompanied by a vet and oarsmen dressed in three colors: red for the king, white for the Worshipful Company of Vintners, and blue stripes for the Worshipful Company of Dyers. The last two are medieval London trade guilds that were granted ownership of some Thames swans in the 15th century. The census tradition dates to the 12th century when swans were considered an important food for royal banquets and feasts. While swans are now legally protected from hunting, they face threats from disease, pollution, vandalism, and cruelty, Barber said. Their numbers have declined over the last two years primarily due to outbreaks of avian flu across Britain, he said, adding that only 86 young swans were found during last year's Swan Upping, which was 45 percent fewer than the year before that. But Barber appeared positive at the end of the event's first day, with a total of 16 young swans recorded. The census continues until Friday, traveling from Sunbury on the outskirts of London to Abingdon 80 miles (130 kilometers) upstream.
Saudi Gazette
4 days ago
- Saudi Gazette
Fuel cut-off switches activated moments before Air India crash that killed 260, says probe
NEW DELHI — A preliminary report released Saturday by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has revealed that the engine fuel control switches aboard the Air India flight that crashed last month in Gujarat were moved to the 'cut-off' position just seconds before the aircraft plunged into a hostel, killing 260 people. The UK-bound flight slammed into a medical college hostel in western Gujarat shortly after takeoff, with only one passenger surviving after reportedly leaping from the aircraft. The tragedy claimed the lives of 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. According to the AAIB, the aircraft reached a maximum recorded airspeed of 180 knots before both Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cut-off switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF within a second of each other, leading to an immediate loss of power. The report stated that cockpit voice recordings captured one pilot asking the other, 'Why did you cut off?' to which the second pilot replied that he had not done so. The incident suggests possible uncommanded or accidental engagement of the switches, although investigators have not drawn final conclusions. Following the switch-off, Engine 1's deceleration was briefly reversed and began recovering, while Engine 2 attempted to relight but failed to stabilize. Fuel was reintroduced multiple times to restart the engine, but the recovery proved unsuccessful. The Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR) stopped recording shortly afterward. The AAIB emphasized that the probe remains ongoing and that additional evidence, data, and documents are still being collected from relevant parties. Air India, in a statement, said it is cooperating fully with investigators and is working closely with regulators and other stakeholders as the inquiry continues. This incident marks one of the deadliest air disasters in recent Indian aviation history and has raised serious concerns about potential mechanical or procedural failures in the moments before the crash. — Agencies
Arab News
5 days ago
- Arab News
Fuel to Air India plane was cut off moments before crash, investigation report says
NEW DELHI: Fuel control switches for the engines of an Air India flight that crashed last month were moved from the 'run' to the 'cutoff' position moments before impact, starving both engines of fuel, a preliminary investigation report said early report, issued by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, also indicated that both pilots were confused over the change to the switch setting, which caused a loss of engine thrust shortly after Air India flight – a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner – crashed on June 12 and killed at least 260 people, including 19 on the ground, in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad. Only one passenger survived the crash, which is one of India's worst aviation plane was carrying 230 passengers – 169 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian – along with 12 crew to the report, the flight lasted around 30 seconds between takeoff and crash. It said that once the aircraft achieved its top recorded speed, 'the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another' within a second. The report did not say how the switches could have flipped to the cutoff position during the movement of the fuel control switches allow and cut fuel flow to the plane's switches were flipped back into the run position, the report said, but the plane could not gain power quickly enough to stop its descent after the aircraft had begun to lose altitude.'One of the pilots transmitted ''MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY',' the report also indicated confusion in the cockpit moments before the the flight's final moment, one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel. 'The other pilot responded that he did not do so,' the report plane's black boxes – combined cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders – were recovered in the days following the crash and later downloaded in authorities had also ordered deeper checks of Air India's entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner to prevent future incidents. Air India has 33 Dreamliners in its fleet.
