Current as of 10:45am, BKK; this is an ongoing story and Travel Daily Media will update when new information is available.

The results of the preliminary investigation into the deadly crash of Air India Flight 171 on 12th June show that the aircraft’s fuel switches had been set to the cutoff position just before impact.

According to a report from the Associated Press (AP) updated at 12:11am BKK today, 13th July, investigators noted that the fuel control switches of the ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner were moved from the “run” to the “cutoff” position, depriving its engines of fuel. This led to a loss of engine thrust soon after takeoff.

The Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) pointed out that there was confusion on the part of both pilots regarding the changed settings.

What we know so far

The Air India flight lasted around 30 seconds between takeoff and impact. Per the report, once the Dreamliner hit its top recorded speed: “Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another.”

This unusual situation occurred in mere seconds, but the initial report made no mention as to how the switches could have flipped to the cutoff position during the flight. Indeed, Australian experts pointed out how unlikely it was that the shift was accidental.

Australian International Pilots Association (AIPA) technical director Steve Cornell declared: “It’s not the situation where you would just both be sitting there very quietly. It’ll be a very busy time trying to work out what had happened and trying to fix it.”

Cornell and other experts say that it is impossible to flip or even bump into these switches by accident. Boeing engineers designed the fuel switches with a locking mechanism that prevents inadvertent movement.

Possibility of Deliberate Action

Another expert, Keith Tonkin, concurs, stating, “It means that almost certainly, one of the pilots, who would be the only people able to access those switches, has made the decision to physically switch the fuel off to the engines.”

This raises chilling questions about the crash possibly stemming from deliberate actions.

Mohan Ranganathan also highlighted evidence suggesting that the scenario was not accidental, asserting that both switches were manually turned off just after takeoff.

Indian authorities have advised caution against premature conclusions while the investigation continues, which may take until the end of the year. Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu emphasized the need for patience and appreciation for the skills of pilots amidst the ongoing inquiry.

More questions than answers

Apart from the findings on the fuel switches, the AAIB noted Air India Flight 171 was operated under safe parameters, being almost 5,000kg under the maximum takeoff weight with no dangerous goods aboard and no recorded bird strikes on the flight path.

Imtiyaz Ali, a family member of victims lost in the crash, expressed disappointment in the report, lamenting its lack of definitive answers about the cause. “There’s nothing in it that really points to what caused the crash. This matters to us; we want to know exactly what happened.”