Did ‘improper’ use of fuel control switches lead to Air India plane crash?

A preliminary report on last month’s Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad has been submitted to the civil aviation ministry.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that the investigation looked closely at the engine fuel control switches after analysing data from the aircraft’s flight and voice recorders.

The crash took place on June 12, just 32 seconds after take-off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport.

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The London-bound Air India flight was carrying 242 people, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew members. All were killed in the fire, except for one passenger seated in 11A who survived.

So, what role did the engine fuel control switches play in the crash? What does the report say?

Let’s find out:

The link between engine fuel control switches & Air India crash

Aviation industry publication The Air Current has reported that investigators are focusing on the engine fuel control switches in the Air India crash case.

This comes after a detailed study of the flight and voice data from the Boeing 787 involved in the incident.

The report added that it could take several months or longer to fully analyse the movement of these switches along with other evidence and findings.

According to the publication, there might have been a chance that the fuel control switches in the cockpit were moved in the wrong way.

These switches have two settings: run and cutoff.

The report said that they are typically used on the ground while starting the engine or shutting it down after landing.

However, in case of an emergency like engine failure during flight, the crew may need to move the switches to shut down or restart an engine manually.

It further said that switching from run to cutoff while airborne would stop the fuel flow to that engine, causing it to shut down immediately and lose all thrust.

This action would also lead to a halt in the power supply from the engine’s two electrical generators, affecting several aircraft systems and some displays in the cockpit.

The switches are located below the jet’s throttle levers, placed inside a fuel control module. They are surrounded by brackets to stop them from being moved by mistake. Each switch also has a metal stop lock, which requires the crew to lift it before shifting position.

In the case of an engine fire, the switch linked to that engine would glow red, offering a clear warning to the pilots, the report said.

Sources told The Air Current that the black box data does not confirm whether the switches were moved by mistake, on purpose, or due to some other issue before or after the apparent loss of thrust.

US aviation safety expert John Cox said it would be very unlikely for a pilot to move these switches by accident.

“You can’t bump them and they move,” he said.

Cox added that if a switch was turned off, the engine would lose power almost immediately.

Meanwhile, Reuters quoted sources who said the investigation has not found any urgent concerns about a mechanical fault, and no advisory has been issued to airlines to change the way they operate Boeing 787 aircraft.

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Air India plane crash

The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner began losing height after reaching 650 feet and crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad.

Of the 242 people on board, 241 died. The crash also claimed more lives on the ground, bringing the total death toll to 260.

The investigation is being led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, as per international guidelines.

Most air accidents usually happen due to a mix of reasons. Last month, Reuters reported that the current probe is looking into engine thrust as one of the possible causes.

On Friday, Air India said it has paid compensation to the families of nearly two-thirds of the victims who died in the crash.

Soon after the tragedy, Air India’s parent company, Tata Sons, announced that it would give Rs 1 crore to the family of each person who died in the incident.