Preliminary Report Released on Air India Boeing 787 Crash

The two engines on the Air India flight shut down within one second of each other before the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed on June 12 in Ahmedabad, India, resulting in at least 260 fatalities, according to a preliminary report released Friday.

Both engine fuel control switches, which if moved to the "cutoff" position in flight cut power to the engines, transitioned from the "run" to "cutoff" settings as the plane took off, according to the report. This action deprived the engines of fuel, preventing the plane from lifting off.

In the recovered cockpit voice recording, one pilot is heard asking the other why fuel was cut off to the engine. The other pilot responded that he did not do so, according to the 15-page report. After the switches were returned to "run" and one engine began to regain thrust, it was not sufficient to prevent the crash.

The Boeing 787, built in Everett, crashed in Ahmedabad less than a minute after takeoff. According to local authorities, 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground were killed.

Investigation Details

The preliminary report was released by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau approximately one month after the crash, following guidelines from the International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations agency that recommends practices for the aviation industry.

India’s civil aviation authority is leading the investigation, with support from the U.S. and the U.K., as several citizens from those countries were on board the London-bound flight.

The report states that at this stage of the investigation, there are no recommended actions for Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, General Electric, the engine maker, or their operators.

Expert Opinions

Two aviation experts advised caution in attributing the incident to pilot error.

"I don’t think we know that yet. It could be a system failure that causes this to happen," said Joe Jacobsen, a retired Federal Aviation Administration safety engineer. "We have evidence saying ‘he didn’t do so.’ To me if you take that on face value, then it’s a system failure and not a pilot action."

The switches require a two-step process to move between settings, designed to prevent accidental power cuts. The switch produces a clicking sound when activated, but the preliminary report does not mention such a sound. Mike Dostert, a former FAA engineer, noted this detail is important in determining if a pilot changed the settings.

The report does not specify which pilot asked about the switches. Both pilots had adequate rest before the flight, passed preflight breath analyzer tests, and were considered fit to fly. The first officer was operating the aircraft during takeoff, with the captain monitoring.

Additional Findings

The takeoff weight was within allowable limits, and there were no dangerous goods on the plane, according to the report. There was no significant bird activity in the flight path.

Boeing and General Electric have offered support to the investigation and to Air India. Both companies have stated they are limited in what they can disclose while the investigation is ongoing.

"We continue to support the investigation and our customer," Boeing stated Friday.

The aircraft crashed into a medical hostel approximately one mile from the airport. This was the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

With limited official updates from investigators, the aviation industry and the public have sought information regarding the cause of the crash.

Recent information aligns with media reports indicating that investigators are focusing on the engine fuel control switches.

Aviation experts interviewed over the past month have listed multiple possible causes and have not ruled out any specific factors, noting that the circumstances of the crash are unusual.