Investigators probing last month's Air India crash say the jet's engines lost power just after takeoff because fuel was cut off from both engines—an action apparently triggered by the pilots, reports the New York Times. According to a preliminary report that comes 30 days after the crash, the plane's cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot asking the other why the fuel was cut, with the reply: "I did not do so." The incident, which claimed more than 270 lives, including dozens on the ground, is now the deadliest air disaster in India since 1996.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner plunged into a building about 30 seconds after departure from Ahmedabad, killing all but one of the 242 people onboard. Early findings from flight data and voice recordings have largely discounted mechanical or design flaws, with investigators recommending no immediate changes for Boeing or engine maker General Electric. Instead, the focus has shifted to the operation of the fuel control switches, which have built-in safety mechanisms meant to prevent accidental movement. Experts note these switches must be deliberately pulled and moved—a simple bump would not suffice.
The switches were turned off in quick succession, about a second apart, and data show the pilots tried to turn the fuel back on, but the engines could not recover in time to halt the descent. The plane crashed less than 40 seconds into the flight with one engine having regained thrust, while the other had only just relit, reports the BBC. Both the captain and first officer were experienced pilots, with more flight hours than initially reported—more than 18,000 combined, notes the Times. The first officer was at the controls at the time of the crash, notes the BBC, with the captain monitoring. While authorities caution that the investigation is ongoing and final conclusions may take years, the early evidence points to cockpit error or miscommunication.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
