- By Chetna Shree
- Sat, 12 Jul 2025 09:00 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Ahmedabad Plane Crash: The preliminary probe report of the deadly Air India plane crash, which claimed the lives of 260 people, was released on Saturday. The Aircraft Accident Incident Bureau (AAIB) 15-page report revealed the main cause behind the tragedy. The report mentioned that the fuel control switches, which were earlier flagged off by the US Federal Aviation Administration, were cut off before it crashed into a medical college hostel building on June 12. The US Regulator flagged fuel control switches as a potential issue seven years ago on Boeing aeroplanes.
Air India told the probe team that it did not carry out the suggested inspections because they were advisory and not mandatory. As per the preliminary probe report, the particular plane, VT-ANB, had a clean maintenance since 2023, required inspections were current, and the aircraft had valid airworthiness certificates.
What US FAA Flagged In Boeing Planes?
- In 2018, the US FAA issued Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB), NM-18-33, in which it flagged potential problems with the fuel control switches' locking mechanisms on Boeing aircraft.
- The bulletin came after reports that these switches were installed with their locking features disengaged on some Boeing 737s.
- These locking features of the switches help to prevent inadvertent or mistaken movement of the switches. When the locking feature is disengaged, as it was reported in some Boeing 737s, the switches can be moved even by vibration, inadvertent touch, or other factors.
- Considering it as an advisory, the FAA did not take it seriously to issue a mandatory directive.
Air India Flight Crashed Due To Fuel Switch Cutoff: Report
The preliminary probe report of the Air India plane crash revealed that both switches providing fuel to the engines were cut off before the crash. It was just a few seconds before the crash, one pilot asked the other why he had cut off fuel to the engines, but the other pilot denied having done that. It remains to be seen whether the fuel was cut off, and if so, whether it was human contact or a mechanical or system malfunction.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed seconds after takeoff in a residential area near the Ahmedabad airport, killing 260 people, including 241 on board. Both engines were shut down shortly after takeoff, which led to the world’s deadliest aviation accident in a decade on June 12.
