The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIM) released the investigation report on Saturday (July 12) regarding the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. The AI 171 crash in which 260 people were killed, including the medical students of the college where the plane crashed. The preliminary report, around 15 pages, was released a month after the deadly crash. The report has revealed details around all the important aspects of the crash.
1. Fuel cut-off mid-air
The investigation report revealed that the fuel to both engines of the Boeing 787 aircraft was cut-off mid mid-air just three seconds after the plane took off. "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.
2. Pilots confused
The investigation report also revealed the last moments of the plane, in which the pilot of the aircraft was heard confused in the cockpit voice recording. "In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report read.
3. The attempt to save
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The data of the aircraft showed that an automatic relight was attempted. Engine 1 of the plane briefly responded while Engine 2 did not. This ultimately led to the aircraft crash.
4. Emergency deployment
The Ram Air Turbine (RAT) - an emergency power source deployed in response to a power failure - was activated right after the takeoff. This was a clear indicator that there was a loss of electric power in the system.
5. MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY
Within seconds of the flight in the air, one of the pilots of the aircraft issued the most distress call: "MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY." The controller attempted to confirm the call signal but got no further response.
6. The tragic incident
The report revealed that the flight analysis showed the aircraft hit a nearby building - BJ Medical College - with an 8-degree nose-up pitch and level wings.
7. Thrust levers found idle
The report revealed that the thrust levers of the aircraft were in the takeoff position during the flight and were idle after the crash.
8. Wreckage crosses 1,000 feet
The debris of the aircraft after the crash was scattered over 1,000 feet - indicating the massive force of the impact and trajectory.
9. No fuel control issues logged earlier
The report revealed the aircraft had valid airworthiness certification, and there was no fuel control issue. Moreover, no earlier fuel issue was reported.
10. Boeing advisory not followed
The investigation report also revealed that Boeing had issued an optional advisory on the fuel control switch locking mechanism, but Air India had not carried out the recommended checks.
The AAIB report also confirmed that the wreckage analysis, post-mortem, is ongoing. "At this stage of investigation, there are no recommended actions to B787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers," the report said.
