A cockpit recording from the doomed Air India flight has revealed the chilling final words shared by both pilots. A preliminary report suggests the fuel supplies to the engines were cut off without either pilot knowing how it happened.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad, India on June 12 in what is one of the deadliest plane accidents in terms of the number of British nationals killed. Some 260 people died in the crash, including 229 passengers, 12 crew and 19 people on the ground.
British man Vishwashkumar Ramesh, 40, miraculously survived the crash after escaping through a gap in the fuselage. The report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, published late on Friday, said the jet was carrying 54,200kg of fuel, which was within the “allowable limits”.
The report then said: “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 Engine N1 and N2 began to decrease from their take-off values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off.”
In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots asked the other why he cut off the fuel supply. The other pilot responded that he did not do so.
Referring to data recovered from the plane’s two Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFR), it went on: “As per the EAFR, the Engine 1 fuel cutoff switch transitioned from CUTOFF to RUN at about 08:08:52 UTC. The APU Inlet Door began opening at about 08:08:54 UTC, consistent with the APU Auto Start logic.
“Thereafter, at 08:08:56 UTC the Engine 2 fuel cutoff switch also transitions from CUTOFF to RUN. When fuel control switches are moved from CUTOFF to RUN while the aircraft is inflight, each engine’s full authority dual engine control (FADEC) automatically manages a relight and thrust recovery sequence of ignition and fuel introduction.”
While the engines started to recover, one of the pilots transmitted “mayday, mayday, mayday” before the jet was observed by air traffic control to crash outside the airport. Some 241 people on board were killed in the crash and one passenger survived, while 19 other people also died and 67 were seriously injured.
The plane crashed and struck a medical college hostel in a residential part of Ahmedabad. The report states: “The aircraft was destroyed due to impact with the buildings on the ground and subsequent fire.
“A total of five buildings were impacted and suffered major structural and fire damages.”
The only surviving passenger was Briton Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who previously told The Sun it was a “miracle” he was alive but felt “terrible” he could not save his brother Ajay. Both pilots, who were based at Mumbai and had arrived in Ahmedabad the previous day, had taken an “adequate rest period” before the flight.
The crew, who had been given a breath analyser test earlier, were recorded as fit to operate the flight. No significant bird activity was spotted near the flight path and the aircraft started to lose altitude before crossing the airport perimeter wall.
Both engines were retrieved from the wreckage and quarantined at a hangar in the nearby airport. Investigators have identified “components of interest for further examinations,” the report says.
Fuel samples that were taken from tanks used to refuel the aircraft were “satisfactory”. The report added: “Very limited amount of fuel samples could be retrieved from the APU filter and Refuel/Jettison valve of the left wing.
“The testing of these samples will be done at a suitable facility capable of carrying out the test with the limited available quantity.”
Statements have been taken from Mr Ramesh and witnesses by the investigators, who will also be looking at the post-mortem reports of the crew and the passengers. This is being done “to corroborate aeromedical findings with the engineering appreciation,” the report adds.
An Air India spokesman said: “Air India stands in solidarity with the families and those affected by the AI171 accident. We continue to mourn the loss and are fully committed to providing support during this difficult time.”
The spokesman added: “Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. We continue to fully co-operate with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and other authorities as their investigation progresses.
“Given the active nature of the investigation, we are unable to comment on specific details and refer all such enquiries to the AAIB.”
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