Inside the cockpit: How Air India's Boeing Dreamliner flight ended in disaster
FILE PHOTO: A view shows the rear of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane following its crash, in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025. Central Industrial Security Force via X/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
A preliminary report into the Air India crash that killed 260 people last month showed the plane's engines fuel cutoff switches almost simultaneously flipped from run to cutoff, starving the engines of fuel.
Here is the sequence of events - by the seconds - on June 12, as detailed by Indian investigators in their preliminary report released on Saturday:
05:47 GMT (11:17 a.m. IST) – Air India Dreamliner VT-ANB landed in Ahmedabad from New Delhi as AI423.
07:48:38 GMT – The aircraft was observed departing from Bay 34 at the airport.
07:55:15 GMT – The aircraft requested taxi clearance, which was granted by air traffic control; a minute later the aircraft taxied from the bay to Runway 23 via Taxiway R4, backtracked and lined up for take-off.
08:02:03 GMT - The aircraft was transferred from ground to tower control.
08:07:33 GMT – Take-off clearance issued.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Asia Air India crash report shows pilot confusion over engine switch movement
Business F&B operators face tougher business landscape amid rising costs and stiff competition
Business What's in store for policyholders after GE removes pre-authorisation letters for two private hospitals
Singapore ST will have Govt's 'full confidence and support' in its mission: PM Wong
Multimedia Which floor is this? Chongqing's maze-like environment powers its rise as a megacity
Asia 'Woven air': Ancient fabric spun across history makes comeback amid lies and climate change
Sport 'A step forward' for golfer Shannon Tan, who makes cut at Evian Championship
Business 4 conditions that allow seniors with dementia to sign wills
08:07:37 GMT - The aircraft started rolling.
08:08:39 GMT – Aircraft lifted off. "The aircraft air/ground sensors transitioned to air mode, consistent with liftoff," the report said.
08:08:42 GMT – Aircraft reached max airspeed of 180 knots. "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 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
"The CCTV footage obtained from the airport showed Ram Air Turbine (RAT) getting deployed during the initial climb immediately after lift-off
"The aircraft started to lose altitude before crossing the airport perimeter wall."
08:08:47 GMT – both engines' values "passed below minimum idle speed", and the RAT hydraulic pump began supplying hydraulic power.
08:08:52 GMT – Engine 1 fuel cutoff switch transitioned from CUTOFF to RUN.
08:08:56 GMT – Engine 2 fuel cutoff switch also transitions from CUTOFF to RUN.
"When fuel control switches are moved from CUTOFF to RUN while the aircraft is inflight, each engines full authority dual engine control (FADEC) automatically manages a relight and thrust recovery sequence of ignition and fuel introduction."
"Engine 1's core deceleration stopped, reversed and started to progress to recovery. Engine 2 was able to relight but could not arrest core speed deceleration and re-introduced fuel repeatedly to increase core speed acceleration and recovery."
08:09:05 GMT – One of the pilots transmitted 'MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY".
08:09:11 GMT – Data recording stopped.
08:14:44 GMT – Crash fire tender left the airport premises for rescue and firefighting. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
41 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Football-Wildfire smoke forces postponement of Canadian Football League game
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A Canadian Football League game between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Calgary Stampeders in Regina on Friday was rescheduled after a long delay due to poor air quality caused by heavy smoke from wildfires. The announcement that the game had been rescheduled to Saturday was made more than three-and-a-half hours after the scheduled kick-off time. "(The air) was going to clear right around game time or right before game time," Roughriders CEO Craig Reynolds told reporters. Scores of wildfires have been burning across Canada since the start of May, including dozens in northern Saskatchewan. "The wind just died. It just died," Reynolds said. "And so as a result, that smoke plume just sat there." Smoke from wildfires could cause disruptions when North America hosts the soccer World Cup next year. In January, Los Angeles wildfires forced the relocation or cancellation of numerous sports events, including an NFL Wild Card playoff game between the Rams and Minnesota Viking that was moved from L.A. to Glendale, Arizona. REUTERS Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Air India crash report shows pilot confusion over engine switch movement Singapore More NSFs may be recruited to tackle scams: Police Singapore $3 cashback for hawker centre meals and shopping at heartland stores with DBS PayLah initiative Singapore 40% more sign-ups to programmes for adult learners at institutes of higher learning in last 5 years Singapore Wegovy, injectable drug used to treat obesity, now available via prescription in Singapore Business NTT DC Reit's Singapore public offer 9.8 times oversubscribed Multimedia Which floor is this? Chongqing's maze-like environment powers its rise as a megacity Singapore Over 20 motorists caught offering illegal ride-hailing services at Changi Airport and Gardens by the Bay
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
NTT DC Reit's Singapore public offer 9.8 times oversubscribed
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox NTT DC Reit is aiming to raise gross proceeds of US$773 million from the Singapore IPO. SINGAPORE - The manager of NTT DC Reit (real estate investment trust) said the public tranche of its Singapore initial public offer (IPO) was about 9.8 times oversubscribed. Based on the 30 million units available to the public for subscription, there were 14,166 valid applications for an aggregate of 294.8 million units, the manager said in a bourse filing on July 11. It received application monies totalling around $376.2 million. Overall, based on the 599.9 million units available for subscription under the offering, including 569.9 million units offered to international investors, it was around 4.6 times oversubscribed. The international placement was US$1 per unit, while the Singapore public offer was at S$1.276 per unit. Merrill Lynch (Singapore), which is a stabilising manager on behalf of the joint bookrunners of the IPO, has over-allotted an extra 51.5 million units. NTT DC Reit is aiming to raise gross proceeds of US$773 million from the Singapore IPO. The listing is the biggest of a Singapore Reit in more than a decade. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Air India crash report shows pilot confusion over engine switch movement Singapore More NSFs may be recruited to tackle scams: Police Singapore $3 cashback for hawker centre meals and shopping at heartland stores with DBS PayLah initiative Singapore 40% more sign-ups to programmes for adult learners at institutes of higher learning in last 5 years Singapore Exhibition marking The Straits Times' 180th anniversary opens on July 12 at Jewel Changi Multimedia Which floor is this? Chongqing's maze-like environment powers its rise as a megacity Singapore Over 20 motorists caught offering illegal ride-hailing services at Changi Airport and Gardens by the Bay Life SG60 F&B icons: 20 dishes and drinks which have shaped Singaporeans' taste buds Concurrent with but separate from the offering, a group of cornerstone investors will subscribe to over 172 million units in total, representing 16.8 per cent of all units. These include GIC, which is subscribing to more than 100 million units that make up 9.8 per cent of the total units in issue after the offering. Immediately after the listing, GIC will be a substantial unit holder – becoming the second-largest investor in NTT DC Reit after its sponsor.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Lawyers warn UK NDA ban may reduce misconduct settlement payouts
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The provision would void existing NDAs used by businesses to silence employees who were subject to sexual harassment or discrimination. A landmark ban on the use of non-disclosure agreements in workplace misconduct cases - a longstanding practice of financial firms - may make it harder for victims to win compensation and discourage some from speaking up, lawyers say. Under reforms to workers' rights laws by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government due to come into effect later in 2025 , any confidentiality agreements that seek to silence employees who say they faced harassment and discrimination would be null and void. But lawyers say the ban risks unintended consequences: employers are less motivated to settle discrimination cases without confidentiality, leading to greater backlogs for the employee tribunal system and prolonged legal processes for victims seeking closure. This could mean that fewer victims come forward to detail their experiences, according to Ms Caroline Walker, managing director at Cavendish Employment Law. 'Tribunal claims are not for the faint-hearted,' she said, referring to the courts where workers and employers head to fight their disputes. 'They are time consuming, costly and cross-examination over sensitive discrimination or harassment incidents can be brutal.' There's a risk too that companies try to bury victims in a legal quagmire, she said, with companies more determined to defend their reputation in court in the absence of a confidentiality agreement. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Air India crash report shows pilot confusion over engine switch movement Singapore More NSFs may be recruited to tackle scams: Police Singapore $3 cashback for hawker centre meals and shopping at heartland malls with DBS PayLah initiative Singapore 40% more sign-ups to programmes for adult learners at institutes of higher learning in last 5 years Singapore Exhibition marking The Straits Times' 180th anniversary opens on July 12 at Jewel Changi Multimedia Which floor is this? Chongqing's maze-like environment powers its rise as a megacity Singapore Over 20 motorists caught offering illegal ride-hailing services at Changi Airport and Gardens by the Bay Life SG60 F&B icons: 20 dishes and drinks which have shaped Singaporeans' taste buds In the case of fewer settlements, lengthier legal processes could also pile pressure on an already overwhelmed UK employee tribunal system, Ms Walker said. The backlog had reached almost 50,000 cases by the end of 2024 , an increase of 28 per cent compared with a year earlier. 'This could result in employees having to commit to litigation in difficult circumstances, when they may otherwise have received a settlement, allowing them to move on more quickly,' Ms Bethan Jones, an employment lawyer at Spencer West, said. The use of NDAs for cases involving allegations of workplace abuse is widespread; 22 per cent of respondents to a 2024 survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development said their company used them when dealing with allegations of sexual harassment. The ban marks a shift in policy for Britain after the previous Conservative government rejected calls in 2024 to end their use and comes after a series of high-profile sexual harassment scandals in recent years, including allegations against hedge fund manager, Crispin Odey, who has denied the allegations. 'There is commercial and reputational value to the employer in settling with confidentiality irrespective of the merit or otherwise of the allegation,' Mr Jason Braier, a trial lawyer specialising in employment, said in a LinkedIn post. 'The government amendment will disincentivise employers from settling many claims they think they can defend.' But proponents of the ban say the risks are unfounded and note that the new law will reverse the power dynamics, with victims, not companies, able to request confidentiality. 'The whole thing with NDAs is that they are a piece of power, and when you are an employee the power disparity is so huge,' said Ms Zelda Perkins, the whisteblower at the heart of the Weinstein scandal. 'People I've been fighting against baulk at that word power but really it's about equality and leveling the playing field.' And Ms Georgina Calvert-Lee, at Bellevue Law, said the ban simply aligns the UK with other countries where legislation has already changed, including Ireland and several US states. The experience there suggests that a ban has been effective; US research in 2019 showed that, after the introduction of the bans, filings for sexual harassment increased and the settlement rate for those cases rose by nearly 10 per cent. A former employee at Citigroup Inc. who asked not to be named because they signed an NDA after they sued the bank told Bloomberg that victims are often pressured to sign confidentiality agreements by their bosses and hopes this could mark a positive change. They said that City of London firms frequently abuse NDAs and use them to perpetuate toxic corporate cultures. A Citi spokesperson declined to comment. Currently, NDAs can often have a far-reaching impact, with some requiring that victims are unable to speak to anyone, even medical professionals, about their experience. Those who sign such documents also often don't receive legal guidance and are unaware that they can still pursue a criminal case through the police. The reforms would change that. 'You can use confidentiality when it's being used ethically and not abusively,' said Ms Perkins. 'This is really taking the ability to abuse that tool out of the hands of employers.' BLOOMBERG
