A preliminary report from Indian aviation investigators said Saturday that the fatal Air India crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people last month, involved the aircraft's engine fuel switches being moved from "run" to "cutoff" just seconds apart.
Data recovered from the flight recorder (EAFR) of the Boeing 787-8, tail number VT-ANB, reveals that the fatal chain of events began just three seconds after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (VAAH), when both engine fuel cutoff switches were moved from the "RUN" to "CUTOFF" position.
The flight, en route to London’s Gatwick Airport (EGKK), was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members. At approximately 08:09 UTC, the aircraft crashed into a residential area about 0.9 nautical miles from the end of Runway 23, killing all 12 crew members, 229 passengers, and 19 people on the ground. One passenger survived with serious injuries.
"At this stage of investigation, there are no recommended actions to Boeing 787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers," India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said.
The agency, an office under India's civil aviation ministry, is leading the probe into the world's deadliest aviation accident in a decade.
