Was Air India crash mechanical, accidental or…? FAQs answered

India Today

5 days ago

The preliminary report of the ongoing investigation into the June 12 crash of the London-bound Air India Flight AI171, soon after take-off from Ahmedabad, has raised various worrying questions, most critically around fuel cut-off to the engines of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane and whether this fatal development occurred from a mechanical malfunction or some other cause. INDIA TODAY breaks down the report for answers:Q. What caused both engines of the plane to fail mid-take-off?advertisementA. Three seconds after being airborne, both engine fuel-cut-off switches abruptly moved from 'RUN' to 'CUT-OFF', starving the engines of fuel. Crucially, the pilots denied touching the switches, as per cockpit voice recorder data, and the plane's wreckage showed the switches physically back in 'RUN' mode.To some observers, this points strongly to a catastrophic failure of the small latches meant to lock those switches in place—a specific risk flagged in an advisory by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) back in 2018. But to some others, it suggests human error.
Q. Why wasn't the risk flagged by the FAA over six years ago fixed on the Air India plane that crashed?A. That critical FAA warning was only an advisory, not a mandatory directive. Air India had the throttle-control module of this plane replaced twice (2019 and 2023), but maintenance logs show that no inspections for the faulty latch mechanism were performed either time. However, the advisory was that in some 737 (not 787) aircraft, it had been found that those switches were installed with faulty locking. The 787 series of aircraft was also mentioned in the FAA advisory because its switches were similar. From images of the wreckage, it would seem that was not the case with Flight AI171. Then again, deeper material analysis is underway to conclude either way.Q. What was so crucial about the FAA advisory?A. To quote a portion of it: 'The Boeing Company (Boeing) received reports from operators of Model 737 airplanes that the fuel-control switches were installed with the locking feature disengaged The fuel control switch has a locking feature to prevent inadvertent operation that could result in unintended switch movement between the fuel supply and fuel cut-off positions. In order to move the switch from one position to the other under the condition where the locking feature is engaged, it is necessary for the pilot to lift the switch up while transitioning the switch position.If the locking feature is disengaged, the switch can be moved between the two positions without lifting the switch during transition, and the switch would be exposed to the potential of inadvertent operation. Inadvertent operation of the switch could result in an unintended consequence, such as an in-flight engine shutdown.'The advisory also says that based on the limited data at that time, it was considered not to turn it into a mandatory check for airline operators. Now, India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked all airlines that have aircraft mentioned in that advisory to carry out an inspection and furnish a report of the findings by July 21.advertisementQ. Could the highly experienced pilots have accidentally shut off the fuel supply?A. Both the pilots' credentials and flying experience, as well as common sense strongly suggest otherwise. The two pilots were highly experienced on this specific plane. The cockpit voice recorder data has one of them expressing shock when the plane lost upward thrust and questioning the fuel switch cut-off, while the other denies doing so.Critically, the physical thrust levers were found jammed full forward (take-off position), supporting flight data showing maximum power was commanded until impact. The switches themselves were found in 'RUN' mode after the crash. This combination makes a simple pilot error of bumping the switches incredibly unlikely.Q. Why do modern aircraft, especially the Dreamliner, allow cut off of fuel supply manually when the aircraft is airborne? Isn't there failsafe tech to prevent such a thing?A. Experts cite a variety of reasons. For example, the pilot might need to switch off fuel to one or both engines during landing, based on the dynamic landing environment. The engine does not need full power during taxiing. So, the fuel is cut off then as well. Then there is the scenario of an engine catching fire. In such a case, the pilot might have to cut off fuel supply to that engine to save the aircraft. So the existence of the switches and the behaviour of the aircraft are not in question.advertisementThe switches are designed in a way that makes the act of turning them a deliberate, 2-3 second job. Moreover, metal guards are installed on either side of the switches to prevent accidental bumping. Some experts have also talked about failure/malfunction of a chip (microprocessor) linked to the GE engine of the Air India plane. But the report does not talk about such a thing.Q. If not a mechanical malfunction or something accidental, what other reason could be attributed to the switches turning off?A. In that case, only one possibility remains—human error. Some global aviation experts seem to be veering towards this theory. Captain Steve Scheibner, a commercial pilot and leading aviation expert with a wide following on YouTube, is of the view that the only way the switches could be off is if someone manually switched them off, and not by accident. He also points out that India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has onboarded, among others, an 'aviation psychologist'—perhaps to assess the mental health and stress levels of the Flight AI171 pilots during flight.advertisementThe switches are designed in a way that it takes three fingers and a bit of force to turn them. Thus, it's being argued that it's unusual for them to change position because of cockpit vibration or turbulence. The aviation community is also often quoting the infamous Germanwings Flight 9525 crash of 2015.Q. What happened in the Germanwings crash? Are there similarities to the Air India tragedy?A. On March 24, 2015, Germanwings Flight 9525, from Barcelona to Dsseldorf, had crashed into the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board. Investigations revealed that co-pilot Andreas Lubitz intentionally caused the crash.After the captain left the cockpit, Lubitz locked him out and then deliberately set the autopilot to descend rapidly into the mountains. Despite efforts by the captain to regain entry and calls from air traffic control, Lubitz maintained control and drove the plane into the ground. It was later discovered that Lubitz had a history of severe depression and had concealed his mental health issues from his employer.There is no direct similarity of the Germanwings tragedy to the Flight AI171 crash. However, investigators and experts are drawing parallels in terms of exploring all possibilities, including pilot intent or mental state. The Airline Pilots Association of India has rejected insinuations of suicide or human error and termed such theories as biased. Their argument is also that the pilots are being made to take the fall because they are not around to defend themselves. In any case, a deeper analysis is underway, with a definite outcome of the investigation at least months away.advertisementSubscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsTrending Reel