On July 16th, local time, preliminary investigations by the US indicated that the black box recordings from the crashed Indian Airlines flight revealed that
the captain had shut off the fuel supply switches for two engines, which could have been the direct cause of the crash.
The recordings were between two pilots and are currently focusing on crew operational errors rather than technical malfunctions.
Indian Airline has not yet responded to this matter, and official confirmation is still awaited.
On the afternoon of June 12th, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft from India to the UK crashed shortly after takeoff at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, killing over 270 people on board and around the ground. Both black boxes have been recovered. This marks the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 model, with teams from multiple countries assisting in the investigation.
Indian Airline’s First Investigation Report: Engine Fuel Cut Just Before Crash
The Indian aviation accident investigators disclosed the preliminary findings of the crash of the Indian Airlines Boeing 787-8 aircraft on June 12th.
The report indicates that within seconds after takeoff,
the fuel switches for both engines almost simultaneously switched from “running” to “cut,”
causing an interruption in engine fuel supply and resulting in a stalled airplane.
The report mentions, “In the voice recorder from the cockpit, one pilot can be heard asking another pilot, ‘Why did you cut it?’ And the other pilot replies, ‘I didn’t do that.’ Shortly after these exchanges, the fuel supply switches for both engines were reopened, seemingly attempting a restart. However, at this point, one pilot issued an emergency distress signal (Mayday).
The duration of the fuel supply cut was approximately 10 seconds, followed by the adjustment of the fuel supply switches back to an open state. However, by then, the plane was no longer able to regain enough power to stop its descent and climb back up.”
Furthermore, the interval between the simultaneous closing of the fuel supply switches for both engines was about 1 second.
A Boeing 787 plane from India crashes