'Why Did You Cut Off Fuel?': Last Cockpit Exchange Before Air India Crash

A preliminary report on the Air India Ahmedabad crash reveals a pilot questioned a crew member about cutting off fuel moments after takeoff.

The Air India flight AI171 crashed seconds after takeoff in Ahmedabad last month.

Source : PTI

One of the pilots flying the ill-fated Air India plane that crashed seconds after takeoff in Ahmedabad last month asked his crew member why he cut off the fuel, in what was the last exchange in the cockpit between the pilots, according to a preliminary report.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its 15-page preliminary report on Saturday on the crash, which occurred nearly 30 seconds after the plane lifted off. 

According to the report, the engine fuel control switches of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner were cut off seconds after takeoff, prompting one of the pilots to ask the other why he had cut them off. The latter responded, saying he did not do so, as per the report.

On June 12, the Air India flight AI171 with 242 persons aboard took off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport for London Gatwick at 1:38 pm. However, the flight crashed into a medical hostel complex soon after take-off, killing 260 people, including 241 aboard the plane. 

'RUN to CUTOFF'

As per the report, which comes a month after the fatal crash, the aircraft air/ground sensors transitioned to air mode, consistent with liftoff at 08:08:39 UTC (13:38:09 IST). 

It said that the fuel switches for both engines cut off in succession with a gap of one second. 

"The aircraft achieved the maximum recorded airspeed of 180 Knots IAS at about 08:08:42 UTC and immediately thereafter, the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 sec," the report said citing the plane's Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFR).

As the fuel supply to the engines was cut off, the engine N1 and N2 began to decrease from take-off values, the report added. 

"In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report said.

RAT Deployed

The AAIB also said that the CCTV footage obtained from the airport showed that the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) got deployed during the initial climb immediately after lift off.

The report ruled out possibility of a bird strike as a probable cause of the crash saying there was "no significant bird activity observed in the vicinity of the flight path." 

"The aircraft started to lose altitude before crossing the airport perimeter wall."