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The tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad has prompted a thorough investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), India's national aviation safety investigative body. The crash, involving a London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, resulted in the loss of 274 lives, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.
The immediate aftermath saw the AAIB swiftly launch an investigation, a crucial step highlighted by Civil Aviation Minister K.R. Naidu in a recent Rajya Sabha address.
Minister Naidu's statement provided several key updates. He emphasised the AAIBs successful decoding of data from the recovered black boxes, a significant accomplishment allowing for a deeper understanding of the events leading to the crash. Preliminary findings, as presented by the Minister, point towards a critical failure in the aircrafts fuel system.
The AAIB report details how the aircrafts two-engine fuel control switches unexpectedly shifted from the "RUN" position to the "CUTOFF" position within seconds of takeoff. This abrupt change resulted in the complete loss of power, causing the plane to plummet to the ground and crash into a nearby hostel building less than two kilometres from the airport, within 30 seconds of the initial event.
The investigation has also analysed the cockpit voice recordings. These recordings revealed a conversation between the pilots where one questioned the other about the shutdown of the fuel system.
However, the second pilot denied making any adjustments to the fuel cutoff switches. This discrepancy highlights the complexity of the investigation and underscores the importance of a thorough analysis of all available data.
