Preliminary Report Reveals Fuel Cutoff Before Air India Flight 171 Crash

Initial findings from the investigation into the Air India Flight 171 crash highlight a critical failure minutes after takeoff. On June 12, the Boeing 787-8 crashed into a building in Ahmedabad, India, killing 260 people. The report reveals that fuel supply to both engines was manually cut off within just one second of each other shortly after the plane reached its maximum airspeed.

Cockpit audio showed a tense exchange where one pilot questioned the other’s actions concerning the “cut off,” but no clear admission followed. One engine was partially restarted, but the aircraft ultimately crashed at 1:38 p.m. local time.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau confirmed these fuel cutoff switches moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” mode in quick succession. No evidence of engine fire or other extreme emergencies justifies the decision to cut off fuel in flight.

Former NTSB managing director Peter Goelz called this revelation “very disturbing,” pointing out there’s likely much more on the cockpit voice recorder that hasn’t been disclosed yet.

The victims’ families remain upset by the initial technical details, wanting more transparency about the cause. Air India has not yet responded fully to the report, leaving many questions unanswered as the investigation continues.

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