The report on the Air India AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad reveals the conversation between the pilots during takeoff. Engine failure occurred due to fuel cutoff, leading to the aircraft crashing. 270 fatalities resulted from the accident.
Air India Plane Crash: A month has passed since the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12th. In the meantime, the initial investigation report of this tragedy has been released by the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). The report not only highlights the technical aspects of the accident but also mentions the audio recording of the conversation between the pilots before the crash.
The Accident That Claimed 270 Lives
On June 12th, Air India flight AI 171, en route from Ahmedabad to London, crashed into the building of a medical hostel just minutes after takeoff. The accident resulted in the loss of 270 lives. The deceased included 29 medical college students. Only one passenger on board survived the crash. This accident has become one of the most horrific aviation disasters in the country's history.
What the AAIB's Preliminary Investigation Report Says
The 15-page AAIB report details every second before and after takeoff. According to the report, the main reason for the accident was that the pilots failed to restore thrust in time, which resulted in a sudden reduction in engine power and the aircraft going out of control.
Fuel Cutoff Led to Engine Failure
According to the report, the aircraft reached a speed of 180 knots immediately after takeoff. But at that very moment, the fuel cutoff switches of engine 1 and engine 2 suddenly went from RUN to CUTOFF. This meant that the fuel supply to the engines was cut off. Due to this, both engines were unable to complete the takeoff procedure. As a result, the aircraft lost control within moments and crashed.
What Conversation Happened Between Pilots Just Before the Crash
The AAIB report also mentions the cockpit voice recording. Just a few seconds after takeoff, one pilot asks the other, "Did you turn off the fuel switch?" The other pilot replies that he did not. This conversation illustrates the critical situation in which the pilots themselves were not aware of how the fuel supply was cut off.
Second-by-Second Timeline of the Incident
The report documents every moment of the incident.
- 11:17 AM: The aircraft arrived in Ahmedabad from New Delhi.
- 1:13 PM: Pushback and startup were requested.
- 1:18 PM: The aircraft departed from Bay 34.
- 1:25 PM: Taxi clearance was received.
- 1:37 PM: Takeoff clearance was given from Runway 23.
- 1:38:42 PM: The aircraft reached a speed of 180 knots.
- 1:38:47 PM: The speed of both engines suddenly dropped.
- 1:39:05 PM: The "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" call was made.
- 1:39:11 PM: The aircraft's data recording stopped.
- 1:44:44 PM: Relief and rescue operations were initiated.
Major Technical Reasons for the Accident
The report makes it clear that there were serious errors by the pilots during takeoff. The sudden shutdown of the fuel supply and the failure of the engines to start on time were the main reasons for the accident. It was also observed that the coordination between the two pilots in an emergency situation during takeoff was not proper.
