Ahmedabad, India — What was supposed to be a routine international flight turned catastrophic within moments of takeoff. A preliminary investigation into the Air India crash that killed 242 people has revealed that fuel supply to the engines was abruptly cut mid-air.
The Switch That Killed an Airline
What the Black Box Revealed:
- 08:08:42 GMT: Both engine fuel switches flipped from
RUNtoCUTOFF—1 second apart—starving the engines mid-ascent. - Pilot Panic: “Why did you cut off?” one shouted. “I did not do so!” replied the other.
- Desperate Recovery: Switches were flipped back to
RUNat 08:08:56, but Engine 2 failed to reignite. - Final Transmission: A garbled “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY” at 08:09:05—6 seconds before impact .
Seconds from Safety, Seconds Too Late
As the engines tried to restart, the aircraft deployed its emergency power source, known as the Ram Air Turbine (RAT). But the plane had already started descending rapidly. It clipped the airport’s perimeter wall and crashed into a nearby hostel of BJ Medical College.
The impact killed 242 passengers and crew on board and claimed additional lives on the ground. Only one person survived.
System Failure, Mechanical or Human Error? The War of Words
The Unanswered Questions:
“If they were moved by a pilot, why? If not, what force could override a locked mechanism?”
The switches — located behind the throttle between the pilots — are not designed to move automatically. According to Report, accidental movement of these switches is “extremely rare.”
“They are protected by metal guards and have a locking mechanism,” he said. “They must be moved with deliberate intent.”
While the report stops short of assigning direct blame, questions now swirl around cockpit procedures and potential technical failures.
Pilots’ Union Fury:
The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA) blasted the investigation’s “bias toward pilot error,” demanding transparency.
Contradicting Evidence:
Investigators confirmed the aircraft was not overloaded. Its flaps were set for takeoff, the fuel was clean, and there were no birds near the flight path. The engines had recently been installed — one just weeks before the crash.
Timeline: From Liftoff to Massacre
| Time (GMT) | Event |
|---|---|
| 08:08:33 | Takeoff clearance |
| 08:08:39 | Liftoff |
| 08:08:42 | Fuel switches → CUTOFF |
| 08:08:47 | Engines lose power |
| 08:08:56 | Switches reset; Engine 1 partially relights |
| 08:09:05 | “MAYDAY” call |
| 08:09:11 | Impact at medical college |
⚠️ Critical Context: Weeks earlier, the same jet reported a stabilizer sensor fault—cleared by engineers. Was it linked?
So far, no indication of pilot negligence has been officially stated. However, authorities emphasize that this is just the preliminary report. A full investigation is still ongoing.
Aftermath: Grief, Compensation, and a Legal Storm
Air India’s Response:
- ₹25 lakh ($30,000) interim compensation per victim’s family.
- Psychological teams deployed in Ahmedabad .
Global Fallout:
- Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg called Air India’s chairman: “Full support” pledged.
- EU opened a probe into Air India Express over falsified engine records
“Was this human error or system failure? Share your analysis below.”