Distraught families of Air India AI-171 crash victims, in some cases, were sent the wrong remains, suggest reports. The shocking news has come from the United Kingdom, where families of the plane crash victims have reported receiving the mortal remains of unknown passengers instead of their loved ones. As per reports, relatives of one victim were forced to abandon their funeral plans after being informed that the coffin contained the body of an unknown passenger. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to address the issue with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, during his state visit to the UK next week.<h2>Commingled remains</h2>As per a Mirror UK report, the family of one victim discovered that the coffin contained the body of an unknown passenger and not their family member. In another case, the “commingled” remains of more than one person were mistakenly placed in the same casket. The remains had to be sorted before the last rites could be undertaken last weekend.Reports suggest that 52 of the 261 passengers on the Air India AI-171 flight from Ahmedabad to London, which crashed on 12 June 2025, were British citizens. Of these, already two instances of mistaken remains have come to light. Families of the victims have been taken aback by the alarming reports of mistaken identity and have been left fearful that they too could face such errors.<h2>How was the error identified?</h2>This error came to light when Dr Fiona Wilcox, an Inner West London coroner, sought to match the DNA of the victim with the samples provided by their families.Speaking to the press, aviation lawyer James Healy-Pratt said that families of the victims were left "distraught" over the mistake. He said that “I've been sitting down in the homes of these lovely British families over the last month, and the first thing they want is their loved ones back... But some of them have got the wrong remains, and they are clearly distraught over this. It has been going on for a couple of weeks, and I think these families deserve an explanation.”&nbsp;

Reports suggest that the family of one victim discovered that the coffin contained the body of an unknown passenger and not their family member. In another case, the “commingled” remains of more than one person were mistakenly placed in the same casket. 

Distraught families of Air India AI-171 crash victims, in some cases, were sent the wrong remains, suggest reports. The shocking news has come from the United Kingdom, where families of the plane crash victims have reported receiving the mortal remains of unknown passengers instead of their loved ones. As per reports, relatives of one victim were forced to abandon their funeral plans after being informed that the coffin contained the body of an unknown passenger. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to address the issue with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, during his state visit to the UK next week. Commingled remains As per a Mirror UK report, the family of one victim discovered that the coffin contained the body of an unknown passenger and not their family member. In another case, the “commingled” remains of more than one person were mistakenly placed in the same casket. The remains had to be sorted before the last rites could be undertaken last weekend. Reports suggest that 52 of the 261 passengers on the Air India AI-171 flight from Ahmedabad to London, which crashed on 12 June 2025, were British citizens. Of these, already two instances of mistaken remains have come to light. Families of the victims have been taken aback by the alarming reports of mistaken identity and have been left fearful that they too could face such errors. How was the error identified? This error came to light when Dr Fiona Wilcox, an Inner West London coroner, sought to match the DNA of the victim with the samples provided by their families. Speaking to the press, aviation lawyer James Healy-Pratt said that families of the victims were left "distraught" over the mistake. He said that “I've been sitting down in the homes of these lovely British families over the last month, and the first thing they want is their loved ones back... But some of them have got the wrong remains, and they are clearly distraught over this. It has been going on for a couple of weeks, and I think these families deserve an explanation.”

Reports suggest that the family of one victim discovered that the coffin contained the body of an unknown passenger and not their family member. In another case, the “commingled” remains of more than one person were mistakenly placed in the same casket.&nbsp;

Air India AI-171 crash: Wrong bodies sent to grieving families, DNA tests reveal shocking error

The head of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) warned against jumping to conclusions in the June 12 Air India Flight 171 crash investigation. The plane crash in India's Ahmedabad claimed 260 lives. The caution warning comes amid media reports about the senior pilot cutting off fuel switches of both engines.&nbsp;“Recent media reports on the Air India 171 crash are premature and speculative. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau just released its preliminary report. Investigations of this magnitude take time. We fully support the AAIB’s public appeal, which was released Thursday, and will continue to support its ongoing investigation. All investigative questions should be addressed to the AAIB, said NTSB in a statement.&nbsp;The investigation into the Air India plane crash is being jointly carried out by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and NTSB.&nbsp;Last week, the &nbsp;Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau released its preliminary investigation report that pointed towards confusion in the cockpit shortly before the June 12 crash. Most importantly the report said that the two fuel control switches aboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner were moved to the "cutoff" position just before the takeoff, cutting fuel to the engines.&nbsp;The switches were, however, restored about 10 seconds later, but till then the aircraft had lost thrust, leading to the crash.&nbsp;The two pilots involved were Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder, who had total flying experience of 15,638 hours and 3,403 hours, respectively.&nbsp;According to AAIB's preliminary report, First Officer Clive Kunder is heard asking Captain Sumeet Sabharwal why did he cutoff in the cockpit voice recording. Sabharwal responded by saying he did not do so.&nbsp;After the incident, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had asked all airlines operating Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft to examine the fuel switch locking systems. Air India completed the precautionary inspection of the locking mechanism of fuel control switches (FCS) on all the Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet and found no problems. &nbsp;

The investigation into the Air India plane crash is being jointly carried out by Indias Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and NTSB.

The head of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) warned against jumping to conclusions in the June 12 Air India Flight 171 crash investigation. The plane crash in India's Ahmedabad claimed 260 lives. The caution warning comes amid media reports about the senior pilot cutting off fuel switches of both engines. “Recent media reports on the Air India 171 crash are premature and speculative. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau just released its preliminary report. Investigations of this magnitude take time. We fully support the AAIB’s public appeal, which was released Thursday, and will continue to support its ongoing investigation. All investigative questions should be addressed to the AAIB, said NTSB in a statement. The investigation into the Air India plane crash is being jointly carried out by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and NTSB. Last week, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau released its preliminary investigation report that pointed towards confusion in the cockpit shortly before the June 12 crash. Most importantly the report said that the two fuel control switches aboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner were moved to the "cutoff" position just before the takeoff, cutting fuel to the engines. The switches were, however, restored about 10 seconds later, but till then the aircraft had lost thrust, leading to the crash. The two pilots involved were Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder, who had total flying experience of 15,638 hours and 3,403 hours, respectively. According to AAIB's preliminary report, First Officer Clive Kunder is heard asking Captain Sumeet Sabharwal why did he cutoff in the cockpit voice recording. Sabharwal responded by saying he did not do so. After the incident, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had asked all airlines operating Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft to examine the fuel switch locking systems. Air India completed the precautionary inspection of the locking mechanism of fuel control switches (FCS) on all the Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet and found no problems.

The investigation into the Air India plane crash is being jointly carried out by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and NTSB.

Speculative & premature: Media reports 'blaming' pilot for Air India plane crash slammed by US transport safety body

The Air India aircraft crash incident investigation is underway, and initial reports point to the fuel being cut off. The cockpit conversation between the two pilots also surfaced, where one asked the other if he could turn the fuel off, and he said no. There after speculation began. In a recent interview, aviation attorney and former US Department of Transportation Inspector General Mary Schiavo cautioned against drawing conclusions and blaming the pilots for the unfortunate incident that claimed 260 lives in Ahmedabad on June 13. Speaking to independent journalist Burkha Dutt, Schiavo highlighted episodes in the past where Boeing Dreamliners were involved and the system has cut off fuel to the engines on its own without human intervention.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-india-cuts-15-of-international-flights-citing-enhanced-safety-global-conflicts-1750274130336">Air India cuts 15% of international flights, citing enhanced safety, global conflicts</a> She said, "In about 75% of the cases, the pilots are blamed — and in many cases, we've been able to disprove that. It is not only unfair but simplistic and harmful to blame the pilots… there are too many suspicious things to say, 'Oh, it's the pilots'.”&nbsp;Citing the 2019 All Nippon Airways incident, she said the Boeing 787's system erroneously cut off fuel mid-air, after the system misjudged that the plane had landed, while it was still continuing its journey.&nbsp;Schiavo continued, "That system — TCMA — has already been faulted in a prior incident. It can and will cut the thrust to both engines if it malfunctions. There have already been two interesting, somewhat similar situations on the All Nippon Airways flight back in 2019," she said. "As the plane was coming into land, the fuel control cut off occurred. The plane itself cut off the fuel to the engines. The plane came in like a very heavy glider, but because it was landing, not taking off, there was no crash." She also referred to a more recent case involving a United Airlines Dreamliner flight between Washington, DC and Nigeria.&nbsp;Pointing at a similar incident involving a United Airlines Dreamliner flight from Washington, DC to Nigeria, she said, "The plane itself put the plane into a nose dive. There was a thrust issue, there was an engine issue, and the plane experienced some deviations.”&nbsp;

In a recent interview, aviation attorney and former US Department of Transportation Inspector General Mary Schiavo cautioned against drawing conclusions and blaming the pilots for the unfortunate incident that claimed 260 lives in Ahmedabad on June 13.

The Air India aircraft crash incident investigation is underway, and initial reports point to the fuel being cut off. The cockpit conversation between the two pilots also surfaced, where one asked the other if he could turn the fuel off, and he said no. There after speculation began. In a recent interview, aviation attorney and former US Department of Transportation Inspector General Mary Schiavo cautioned against drawing conclusions and blaming the pilots for the unfortunate incident that claimed 260 lives in Ahmedabad on June 13. Speaking to independent journalist Burkha Dutt, Schiavo highlighted episodes in the past where Boeing Dreamliners were involved and the system has cut off fuel to the engines on its own without human intervention. Also read: Air India cuts 15% of international flights, citing enhanced safety, global conflicts She said, "In about 75% of the cases, the pilots are blamed — and in many cases, we've been able to disprove that. It is not only unfair but simplistic and harmful to blame the pilots… there are too many suspicious things to say, 'Oh, it's the pilots'.” Citing the 2019 All Nippon Airways incident, she said the Boeing 787's system erroneously cut off fuel mid-air, after the system misjudged that the plane had landed, while it was still continuing its journey. Schiavo continued, "That system — TCMA — has already been faulted in a prior incident. It can and will cut the thrust to both engines if it malfunctions. There have already been two interesting, somewhat similar situations on the All Nippon Airways flight back in 2019," she said. "As the plane was coming into land, the fuel control cut off occurred. The plane itself cut off the fuel to the engines. The plane came in like a very heavy glider, but because it was landing, not taking off, there was no crash." She also referred to a more recent case involving a United Airlines Dreamliner flight between Washington, DC and Nigeria. Pointing at a similar incident involving a United Airlines Dreamliner flight from Washington, DC to Nigeria, she said, "The plane itself put the plane into a nose dive. There was a thrust issue, there was an engine issue, and the plane experienced some deviations.”

In a recent interview, aviation attorney and former US Department of Transportation Inspector General Mary Schiavo cautioned against drawing conclusions and blaming the pilots for the unfortunate incident that claimed 260 lives in Ahmedabad on June 13.

Boeing Dreamliner system can cut off fuel without pilot's intervention: Top aviation expert reveals amid ongoing Air India crash probe

The fatal Air India crash last month resuscitated a decade-long controversy in the airline industry over installing video cameras monitoring airline pilot actions to complement the cockpit voice and flight data recorders already employed by crash investigators. One of the world's most powerful voices in the industry, International Air Transport Association chief Willie Walsh, a former pilot, on Wednesday (July 16) said that there was an excellent case for equipping airliner cockpits with video cameras to record pilots' actions to complement voice and flight data recorders currently employed by accident investigators.&nbsp;Aviation analysts have said an initial report from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) raised doubts about whether one of the pilots on Air India flight 171 cut off fuel to the Boeing 787's engines seconds after takeoff, resulting in an irrecoverable situation.&nbsp;The crash at Ahmedabad, India, killed 241 of the 242 passengers, and several individuals on the ground. To date, "given what little we know at this point, it's more than likely that a video recording, along with the voice recording would really help the investigators to carry out that investigation on the matter of mental health," Walsh was quoted saying in an interview.&nbsp;Advocates of cockpit video cameras argue that the images would provide details missing from the audio and data recorders, while critics argue that privacy issues and abuse potential overshadow what they say are minor benefits for investigations. Video evidence was "invaluable" to Australian crash investigators deciding what caused Robinson R66 helicopter disintegration in flight in 2023, which killed the pilot, the sole occupant, in the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's final report, released 18 days after Air India crash.&nbsp;The footage showed "the pilot was engaged in non-flying related activities for much of this period, namely mobile phone use and the drinking and eating of food," the report said. The ATSB praised Robinson Helicopters for making the factory-installed cameras available and said it urged other manufacturers and owners to take into consideration the ongoing safety advantage of similar equipment.&nbsp;In 2000, US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Jim Hall called on the Federal Aviation Administration to mandate commercial airliners be fitted with cockpit image recorders.Hall made the suggestion following 1999's Egyptair Flight 990 crash, when the first officer deliberately crashed the Boeing 767, the NTSB said, killing all 217 aboard. "In the weighing of privacy vs. security, the scale is tipped in favor of security, categorically," air safety expert and retired commercial airline pilot John Nance said. "Guarding the flying public is a sacred trust."&nbsp;Another expert in aviation safety, Anthony Brickhouse, said that as an accident investigator, he supports cockpit video, but recognised that there are real concerns on the part of commercial pilots.Video of Air India flight 171 "would have provided answers to many questions," he said. Air India refused to comment on the matter. India's AAIB, under global regulations, is to come out with a final report within a year of the crash, but did not respond to a request for comment.

Could cockpit cameras have made a difference in Air India crash probe? Experts have their say

The fatal Air India crash last month resuscitated a decade-long controversy in the airline industry over installing video cameras monitoring airline pilot actions to complement the cockpit voice and flight data recorders already employed by crash investigators. One of the world's most powerful voices in the industry, International Air Transport Association chief Willie Walsh, a former pilot, on Wednesday (July 16) said that there was an excellent case for equipping airliner cockpits with video cameras to record pilots' actions to complement voice and flight data recorders currently employed by accident investigators. Aviation analysts have said an initial report from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) raised doubts about whether one of the pilots on Air India flight 171 cut off fuel to the Boeing 787's engines seconds after takeoff, resulting in an irrecoverable situation. The crash at Ahmedabad, India, killed 241 of the 242 passengers, and several individuals on the ground. To date, "given what little we know at this point, it's more than likely that a video recording, along with the voice recording would really help the investigators to carry out that investigation on the matter of mental health," Walsh was quoted saying in an interview. Advocates of cockpit video cameras argue that the images would provide details missing from the audio and data recorders, while critics argue that privacy issues and abuse potential overshadow what they say are minor benefits for investigations. Video evidence was "invaluable" to Australian crash investigators deciding what caused Robinson R66 helicopter disintegration in flight in 2023, which killed the pilot, the sole occupant, in the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's final report, released 18 days after Air India crash. The footage showed "the pilot was engaged in non-flying related activities for much of this period, namely mobile phone use and the drinking and eating of food," the report said. The ATSB praised Robinson Helicopters for making the factory-installed cameras available and said it urged other manufacturers and owners to take into consideration the ongoing safety advantage of similar equipment. In 2000, US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Jim Hall called on the Federal Aviation Administration to mandate commercial airliners be fitted with cockpit image recorders. Hall made the suggestion following 1999's Egyptair Flight 990 crash, when the first officer deliberately crashed the Boeing 767, the NTSB said, killing all 217 aboard. "In the weighing of privacy vs. security, the scale is tipped in favor of security, categorically," air safety expert and retired commercial airline pilot John Nance said. "Guarding the flying public is a sacred trust." Another expert in aviation safety, Anthony Brickhouse, said that as an accident investigator, he supports cockpit video, but recognised that there are real concerns on the part of commercial pilots. Video of Air India flight 171 "would have provided answers to many questions," he said. Air India refused to comment on the matter. India's AAIB, under global regulations, is to come out with a final report within a year of the crash, but did not respond to a request for comment.

Aviation experts have said a preliminary report from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau raised questions over whether one of the pilots of Air India flight 171 cut off fuel to the Boeing 787’s engines seconds after takeoff, leading to an irrecoverable situation

Air India crash report: Reacting to a Western media report that claimed the captain of the crashed Air India plane had switched off the fuel switches of the aircraft seconds after takeoff, Captain CS Randhawa, the president of the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), said on Thursday that Indian pilots are the best in the world. He also warned that he would take legal action against the media house that published the report.&nbsp;Randhawa said the AAIB probe report on the plane crash, which killed 260 people, had not mentioned that the fuel control switches were turned off because of the pilot's mistake. He condemned the article and said media houses must refrain from giving their opinion on the matter.&nbsp;"Nowhere in the report has it been mentioned that the fuel control switch was turned off due to the pilot's mistake. I condemn the article by the Wall Street Journal. They said it was the pilot's mistake. They have not read the report properly, and we will take action against them through FIP. We had issued a press statement yesterday that no channel, commentator, or president of any agency should give such an opinion that has no basis...Indian pilots are among the best in the world. I did not give my opinion to the Wall Street Journal, which had approached me as well, because I am against this American media. They are deliberately giving their own opinion, their own views from this report, while there is nothing like this in the report. So I very strongly condemn this report of the Wall Street Journal, and we will take action on it," he said.&nbsp;The report, citing cockpit recording, claimed that the captain of the ill-fated flight had turned off the switches that controlled fuel flowing to the plane's engines. The Wall Street Journal report cited people familiar with US officials' early assessment of evidence uncovered in the investigation.&nbsp;The recording suggested that the first officer, who was flying the Boeing aircraft, asked the more experienced captain why he moved the switches to the "cutoff" position, it said.&nbsp;AAIB had also mentioned the conversation in the cockpit seconds before the crash. However, it refrained from concluding who said what.&nbsp;The two pilots involved were Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder, who had total flying experience of 15,638 hours and 3,403 hours, respectively.

Captain CS Randhawa, the president of the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), said on Thursday that Indian pilots are the best in the world.

Air India crash report: Reacting to a Western media report that claimed the captain of the crashed Air India plane had switched off the fuel switches of the aircraft seconds after takeoff, Captain CS Randhawa, the president of the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), said on Thursday that Indian pilots are the best in the world. He also warned that he would take legal action against the media house that published the report. Randhawa said the AAIB probe report on the plane crash, which killed 260 people, had not mentioned that the fuel control switches were turned off because of the pilot's mistake. He condemned the article and said media houses must refrain from giving their opinion on the matter. "Nowhere in the report has it been mentioned that the fuel control switch was turned off due to the pilot's mistake. I condemn the article by the Wall Street Journal. They said it was the pilot's mistake. They have not read the report properly, and we will take action against them through FIP. We had issued a press statement yesterday that no channel, commentator, or president of any agency should give such an opinion that has no basis...Indian pilots are among the best in the world. I did not give my opinion to the Wall Street Journal, which had approached me as well, because I am against this American media. They are deliberately giving their own opinion, their own views from this report, while there is nothing like this in the report. So I very strongly condemn this report of the Wall Street Journal, and we will take action on it," he said. The report, citing cockpit recording, claimed that the captain of the ill-fated flight had turned off the switches that controlled fuel flowing to the plane's engines. The Wall Street Journal report cited people familiar with US officials' early assessment of evidence uncovered in the investigation. The recording suggested that the first officer, who was flying the Boeing aircraft, asked the more experienced captain why he moved the switches to the "cutoff" position, it said. AAIB had also mentioned the conversation in the cockpit seconds before the crash. However, it refrained from concluding who said what. The two pilots involved were Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder, who had total flying experience of 15,638 hours and 3,403 hours, respectively.

Air India crash: The AAIB probe report on the plane crash, which killed 260 people, had not mentioned that the fuel control switches were turned off because of the pilot's mistake.

Air India crash: Pilots' body slams report claiming captain turned off fuel switches

Days after an&nbsp;AAIB probe&nbsp;into the Air India plane crash said that the fuel switches were cut off seconds before the accident that killed 260 people, a media report has claimed it was the captain of the flight who shut off the switch, cutting off power to the two engines. The report, citing people familiar with&nbsp;the US officials' early assessment of evidence uncovered in the investigation into the crash, stated that the first officer asked the plane's captain why he had switched off the fuel. The captain, the more experienced pilot, replied that he hadn't switched off the cutoff switches.&nbsp;According to the WSJ report, the first officer panicked upon learning that the captain had allegedly shut off the engines. The captain, however, remained calm.&nbsp;Without fuel flowing to the engines, the plane began to lose thrust and sank. After the crash, both fuel switches were found in the run position, indicating the last-ditch effort to revive the aircraft's engines before it plunged into a hostel in Ahmedabad.&nbsp;The AAIB report hadn't identified which pilot said what. However, it noted the above-mentioned conversation between them. The report didn't conclusively say that the shutdown of the fuel switches led to one of the worst plane crashes in the history of modern aviation.&nbsp;The plane was being captained by Sumeet Sabharwal, an aviation veteran with thousands of flying hours under his belt. Clive Kunder was in his early 30s. Kunder was actively flying the plane, noted the report, and had his hands full. Sabharwal, as the pilot monitoring, would have been more likely to have had his hands free as he oversaw the operation, it added.&nbsp;The two switches were moved to the cut-off position after a gap of one second. They were turned back on after 10 seconds.&nbsp;241 passengers and crew, and 19 people on the ground were killed in the plane crash. One person miraculously survived.&nbsp;An Air India official said on Wednesday that Air India had completed the precautionary inspection of the locking mechanism of fuel control switches (FCS) on all the Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet and found no problems. The inspection was carried out after a directive from the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), earlier this week, which asked all airlines operating Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft to examine the fuel switch locking systems by July 21.

Days after an AAIB probe into the Air India plane crash said that the fuel switches were cut off seconds before the accident that killed 260 people, a media report has claimed it was the captain of the flight who shut off the switch, cutting off power to the two engines. 

Days after an AAIB probe into the Air India plane crash said that the fuel switches were cut off seconds before the accident that killed 260 people, a media report has claimed it was the captain of the flight who shut off the switch, cutting off power to the two engines. The report, citing people familiar with the US officials' early assessment of evidence uncovered in the investigation into the crash, stated that the first officer asked the plane's captain why he had switched off the fuel. The captain, the more experienced pilot, replied that he hadn't switched off the cutoff switches. According to the WSJ report, the first officer panicked upon learning that the captain had allegedly shut off the engines. The captain, however, remained calm. Without fuel flowing to the engines, the plane began to lose thrust and sank. After the crash, both fuel switches were found in the run position, indicating the last-ditch effort to revive the aircraft's engines before it plunged into a hostel in Ahmedabad. The AAIB report hadn't identified which pilot said what. However, it noted the above-mentioned conversation between them. The report didn't conclusively say that the shutdown of the fuel switches led to one of the worst plane crashes in the history of modern aviation. The plane was being captained by Sumeet Sabharwal, an aviation veteran with thousands of flying hours under his belt. Clive Kunder was in his early 30s. Kunder was actively flying the plane, noted the report, and had his hands full. Sabharwal, as the pilot monitoring, would have been more likely to have had his hands free as he oversaw the operation, it added. The two switches were moved to the cut-off position after a gap of one second. They were turned back on after 10 seconds. 241 passengers and crew, and 19 people on the ground were killed in the plane crash. One person miraculously survived. An Air India official said on Wednesday that Air India had completed the precautionary inspection of the locking mechanism of fuel control switches (FCS) on all the Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet and found no problems. The inspection was carried out after a directive from the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), earlier this week, which asked all airlines operating Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft to examine the fuel switch locking systems by July 21.

Air India crash: The AAIB report hadn't identified which pilot said what. However, it noted the above-mentioned conversation between them.

Who cut off the crashed Air India plane's fuel switches? Report makes startling claim

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday (July 14 instructed Indian carriers to inspect fuel control switches of Boeing planes, including the B787 Dreamliner and certain B737s. These planes are operated by airlines such as Air India Group, IndiGo and SpiceJet. The initial report on the June 12 crash Air India crash at Ahmedabad said that fuel to the engines was switched off when position of the fuel supply switch was moved from run to cutoff and then returned to run again. A few foreign airlines like Etihad have already started these checks on their Dreamliners.&nbsp;The DGCA order issued on Monday (July 14) says, "(US) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a 'special airworthiness information bulletin' (SAIB) on December 17, 2018, regarding the potential for disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature on Boeing Company Model 717-200 airplanes; Model 737-700, -700C, -800, and -900ER series airplanes; Model 737-8 and -9 airplanes; Model 747-400, -400D, -400F, -8, and -8F series airplanes; Model 757-200, -200CB, -200PF, and -300 series airplanes; Model 767-200, -300,300F, -400ER, and -2C series airplanes; Model 787-8, -9, and-10 airplanes; Model MD-11 and MD-11F airplanes; and Model MD-90-30 airplanes."&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/j-k-cm-breaks-security-barricades-jumps-over-fence-to-offer-prayers-at-martyrs-graveyard-bjp-calls-it-political-drama-1752494492159">J&amp;K CM breaks security barricades, jumps over fence to offer prayers at Martyrs' graveyard; BJP calls it political drama</a>&nbsp;"It has come to the notice of DGCA, that several operators- internationally as well as domestic have initiated inspection on their aircraft fleet as per the (Dec 17, 2018) SAIB.... all airline operators of the affected aircraft are hereby advised to complete the inspection (by) no later than July 21, 2025. Inspection plan and report after accomplishment of inspection shall be submitted to this office under intimation to concerned regional office. Strict adherence to the timeline is essential to ensure continued airworthiness and safety of operations," it adds.

DGCA orders fuel control switch checks on select Boeing aircraft by July 21

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday (July 14 instructed Indian carriers to inspect fuel control switches of Boeing planes, including the B787 Dreamliner and certain B737s. These planes are operated by airlines such as Air India Group, IndiGo and SpiceJet. The initial report on the June 12 crash Air India crash at Ahmedabad said that fuel to the engines was switched off when position of the fuel supply switch was moved from run to cutoff and then returned to run again. A few foreign airlines like Etihad have already started these checks on their Dreamliners. The DGCA order issued on Monday (July 14) says, "(US) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a 'special airworthiness information bulletin' (SAIB) on December 17, 2018, regarding the potential for disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature on Boeing Company Model 717-200 airplanes; Model 737-700, -700C, -800, and -900ER series airplanes; Model 737-8 and -9 airplanes; Model 747-400, -400D, -400F, -8, and -8F series airplanes; Model 757-200, -200CB, -200PF, and -300 series airplanes; Model 767-200, -300,300F, -400ER, and -2C series airplanes; Model 787-8, -9, and-10 airplanes; Model MD-11 and MD-11F airplanes; and Model MD-90-30 airplanes." Also Read: J&K CM breaks security barricades, jumps over fence to offer prayers at Martyrs' graveyard; BJP calls it political drama "It has come to the notice of DGCA, that several operators- internationally as well as domestic have initiated inspection on their aircraft fleet as per the (Dec 17, 2018) SAIB.... all airline operators of the affected aircraft are hereby advised to complete the inspection (by) no later than July 21, 2025. Inspection plan and report after accomplishment of inspection shall be submitted to this office under intimation to concerned regional office. Strict adherence to the timeline is essential to ensure continued airworthiness and safety of operations," it adds.

The preliminary report into the June 12 crash Air India crash in Ahmedabad says that fuel supply to the engines was cut off as position of the fuel supply switch was changed from run to cutoff and then back to run again

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said that the preliminary investigation report into the Ahmedabad crash found no mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft or its engines. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIM) released the investigation report on Saturday (July 12) regarding the crash of AI 171, 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.&nbsp;In a communication marked to select Air India employees, Wilson said, "All mandatory maintenance tasks had been completed. There was no issue with the quality of fuel and no abnormality with the take-off roll." He also pointed out the fact that both the pilots of the aircraft had cleared mandatory pre-flight breath analyser tests."We continue to perform necessary checks on all planes, as we will any new ones that authorities may suggest," he added.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/nimisha-priya-case-india-supreme-court-to-hear-plea-on-monday-1752485334522/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/nimisha-priya-case-india-supreme-court-to-hear-plea-on-monday-1752485334522/embed</a>&nbsp;Fuel cut-off mid-air&nbsp;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.&nbsp;Pilots confused&nbsp;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. 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.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said that the preliminary investigation report into the Ahmedabad crash found no mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft or its engines

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said that the preliminary investigation report into the Ahmedabad crash found no mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft or its engines. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIM) released the investigation report on Saturday (July 12) regarding the crash of AI 171, 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. In a communication marked to select Air India employees, Wilson said, "All mandatory maintenance tasks had been completed. There was no issue with the quality of fuel and no abnormality with the take-off roll." He also pointed out the fact that both the pilots of the aircraft had cleared mandatory pre-flight breath analyser tests. "We continue to perform necessary checks on all planes, as we will any new ones that authorities may suggest," he added. https://www.wionews.com/videos/nimisha-priya-case-india-supreme-court-to-hear-plea-on-monday-1752485334522/embed 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. 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. 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.

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said that the preliminary investigation report into the Ahmedabad crash found no mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft or its engines

'There was NO ISSUE with the quality of fuel': Air India CEO says no mechanical issue found in probe report

After assessing the AAIB's preliminary report, many aviation experts gave a clean chit of sorts to the pilots of the Air India plane that crashed last month, claiming they had acted within aviation norms. These experts blamed a technical fault in the plane for the crash that killed 241 passengers and crew, and 19 people on the ground. The agency today said in its report, citing the pilots' conversation in the cockpit, that the fuel switch had turned off, and both of them declined to have done that. The pilots attempted to restart the engines but failed, which, experts said, pointed to a grave issue with the engines themselves.&nbsp;"From the report I have seen, there was no other reason for the aircraft to go down but the manufacturing part...It appears that the fuel was cut off on takeoff. The voice recorder makes it clear that neither the commander nor the co-pilot switched off the jet fuel switch. This is obviously some fault within the aircraft that the jet fuel switch turned off automatically," said aviation expert Sanat Kaul.&nbsp;Ehsan Khalid, another aviation expert, explained how the fuel cut-off switch works.&nbsp;"The fuel cut-off switch is a physical switch; it has to be moved from one position to another, and it has to be moved from that position back. There is no automation involved in it. What automation is involved is the fuel shut-off valve. It has transitioned from run to cut-off or ON to OFF, if that is what was being recorded, and if AAIB meant then it is a different thing, but fuel switches being moved up and down automatically does not happen. So, the AAIB report has made some of the answers right, some of the speculations are out of the window," he said.&nbsp;Khalid backed the deceased pilots, saying they were right in trying to switch on the cut-off switch.&nbsp;"Pilot action was 100 per cent right, they tried to revive the engine, which is further corroborated by the fact that there was some movement of the fuel cut-off switch. The fact remains that the engine power was lost without pilot input is confirmed," he said.&nbsp;He said the fuel control shut-off valve might have shut off.&nbsp;"The aircraft took off without any problem, till 3 seconds after it lifted off, at 39 seconds, it left the ground, at 42 seconds, both engines lost power. The report says fuel cut-off switches, transitioned from run to cut-off in 1 1-second interval; thereafter engine continued to be in that position till the next 10 seconds, thereafter the switches transitioned from cut-off to run position. There is no aircraft mechanism that moves the control switches. What has moved is the fuel control shut-off valve...In my opinion, there is no way the switch can move on its own...The pilots did not do it," he added.&nbsp;Veteran pilot and aviation expert Amit Singh said the switch cannot turn off on its own.&nbsp;"They have ruled out every other thing, it is certain that both engines had shut down, they may have shut down because of the fuel control switches being selected off, how did they go off, because of technical defect, or human intervention, the design is such that it cannot automatically go on and off...Time will tell why it happened, there could be the contributory causes...Multiple effects can result in accidents; it has to be a very detailed investigation," he added.&nbsp;Flight data recovered from the aircraft's Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR) revealed that the fuel cutoff switches for both engines were inadvertently moved from RUN to CUTOFF, one after the other within a 1-second interval. Within seconds, one pilot asked the other if he had switched off the fuel. The other replied, saying he didn't.

After assessing the AAIB's preliminary report, many aviation experts gave a clean chit of sorts to the pilots of the Air India plane that crashed last month, claiming they had acted within aviation norms.

After assessing the AAIB's preliminary report, many aviation experts gave a clean chit of sorts to the pilots of the Air India plane that crashed last month, claiming they had acted within aviation norms. These experts blamed a technical fault in the plane for the crash that killed 241 passengers and crew, and 19 people on the ground. The agency today said in its report, citing the pilots' conversation in the cockpit, that the fuel switch had turned off, and both of them declined to have done that. The pilots attempted to restart the engines but failed, which, experts said, pointed to a grave issue with the engines themselves. "From the report I have seen, there was no other reason for the aircraft to go down but the manufacturing part...It appears that the fuel was cut off on takeoff. The voice recorder makes it clear that neither the commander nor the co-pilot switched off the jet fuel switch. This is obviously some fault within the aircraft that the jet fuel switch turned off automatically," said aviation expert Sanat Kaul. Ehsan Khalid, another aviation expert, explained how the fuel cut-off switch works. "The fuel cut-off switch is a physical switch; it has to be moved from one position to another, and it has to be moved from that position back. There is no automation involved in it. What automation is involved is the fuel shut-off valve. It has transitioned from run to cut-off or ON to OFF, if that is what was being recorded, and if AAIB meant then it is a different thing, but fuel switches being moved up and down automatically does not happen. So, the AAIB report has made some of the answers right, some of the speculations are out of the window," he said. Khalid backed the deceased pilots, saying they were right in trying to switch on the cut-off switch. "Pilot action was 100 per cent right, they tried to revive the engine, which is further corroborated by the fact that there was some movement of the fuel cut-off switch. The fact remains that the engine power was lost without pilot input is confirmed," he said. He said the fuel control shut-off valve might have shut off. "The aircraft took off without any problem, till 3 seconds after it lifted off, at 39 seconds, it left the ground, at 42 seconds, both engines lost power. The report says fuel cut-off switches, transitioned from run to cut-off in 1 1-second interval; thereafter engine continued to be in that position till the next 10 seconds, thereafter the switches transitioned from cut-off to run position. There is no aircraft mechanism that moves the control switches. What has moved is the fuel control shut-off valve...In my opinion, there is no way the switch can move on its own...The pilots did not do it," he added. Veteran pilot and aviation expert Amit Singh said the switch cannot turn off on its own. "They have ruled out every other thing, it is certain that both engines had shut down, they may have shut down because of the fuel control switches being selected off, how did they go off, because of technical defect, or human intervention, the design is such that it cannot automatically go on and off...Time will tell why it happened, there could be the contributory causes...Multiple effects can result in accidents; it has to be a very detailed investigation," he added. Flight data recovered from the aircraft's Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR) revealed that the fuel cutoff switches for both engines were inadvertently moved from RUN to CUTOFF, one after the other within a 1-second interval. Within seconds, one pilot asked the other if he had switched off the fuel. The other replied, saying he didn't.

Flight data recovered from the aircraft's Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR) revealed that the fuel cutoff switches for both engines were inadvertently moved from RUN to CUTOFF.

Air India crash: Experts assess AAIB report, float new 'fuel shut-off valve' theory

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