KEY POINTS:
• The Wall Street Journal reported that cockpit recordings indicate the captain cut fuel flow to engines
• Pilot groups rejected claims of human error, calling them “reckless and unfounded” according to Al Jazeera
• India’s AAIB preliminary report found both engine fuel switches moved to “cutoff” seconds after takeoff
Investigators examining the June 12 Air India Flight 171 crash are focusing on actions of the plane’s captain after new details emerged from cockpit recordings, according to multiple news reports on Wednesday.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that a cockpit recording indicates the captain cut the flow of fuel to the plane’s engines, citing people familiar with U.S. officials’ early assessment, according to Yahoo News and other outlets that cited the report. According to the same Wall Street Journal report cited by Yahoo News, First Officer Clive Kunder, who was flying the plane, asked Captain Sumeet Sabharwal why he moved the fuel switches to the “cutoff” position seconds after lifting off the runway.
The Air Current reported on July 4 that the crash killed 241 of the 242 passengers and crew aboard the aircraft and 19 people on the ground 32 seconds after it took off from Ahmedabad airport in India bound for London’s Gatwick Airport. Wikipedia’s compilation of official sources states that all but one of the 230 passengers and all 12 crew members died, with an additional 19 people killed and 67 seriously injured on the ground.
According to India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) preliminary report, as reported by Al Jazeera on July 12, at 08:08:42 IST the aircraft peaked at its maximum recorded speed of 180 knots when both engine-fuel switches abruptly transitioned to “cutoff.” Al Jazeera reported that the AAIB found one pilot can be heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel, with the second pilot responding that he had not.
Two major pilot associations in India have strongly disputed suggestions of human error. Al Jazeera reported on July 14 that two groups of commercial pilots rejected claims that human error caused the crash, with the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) and the Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA India) calling initial interpretations “reckless and unfounded insinuation.”
Yahoo News reported that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal had total flying experience of 15,638 hours while First Officer Clive Kunder had 3,403 hours. The same report noted that investigators did not identify which remarks were made by which pilot in the preliminary report.
According to France24 on July 15, the AAIB report revealed that the jet’s fuel supply was cut off seconds after takeoff, and the plane started losing thrust before it had even crossed the airport’s perimeter. The report noted that an aircraft’s locking mechanism should prevent fuel-control switches from being accidentally moved.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson urged caution in interpreting the preliminary findings. Al Jazeera reported on July 14 that Wilson said the probe into last month’s crash is far from over and it is unwise to jump to any premature conclusions, adding that the preliminary report identified no cause nor made any recommendations.
According to Yahoo News’ report of the Wall Street Journal article, the Journal quoted U.S. pilots who have read the Indian authorities’ report as saying that Kunder, the pilot actively flying, likely would have had his hands full pulling back on the Dreamliner’s controls at that stage of the flight. The same report stated that the Journal did not say if there was any evidence that Sabharwal did move the switches, beyond the verbal exchange it cited.
Multiple aviation experts urged against rushing to conclusions. France24 reported on July 15 that former pilot Marco Chan, now a senior lecturer in aviation operations at Buckinghamshire New University, said it is too soon to tell what happened, stating that “a single line of cockpit dialogue is not proof of human error.”
India’s AAIB submitted its preliminary report to the Ministry of Civil Aviation on July 8, according to Travel Radar’s July 10 report citing News Agency ANI. The report stated that the investigation team includes experts from the Indian Air Force, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, Boeing, GE, aviation medicine specialists, and Air Traffic Control experts.
According to The Air Current’s July 4 report, people familiar with the investigation said that details surrounding movement of the engine fuel control switches will take months to analyze alongside other available data and findings, noting that the focus of investigators could change during that time.
