Air India Crash Probe Zeroes In On Captain`s Actions After WSJ Reports Fuel Cutoff From Cockpit Recording-OxBig News Network

The current probe into the crash of the Air India flight that killed 260 people in Ahmedabad on June 12 has shifted its sharp attention to the conduct of the aircraft’s captain, reported in the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.

The newspaper, referring to sources close to initial reports by US authorities, reported that a cockpit voice recorder confirmed the captain, Sumeet Sabharwal, placed the fuel switches in the “cutoff” position within seconds of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s takeoff from the runway.

The senior officer, Clive Kunder, the “pilot flying” in the plane, is heard on tape questioning the vastly experienced Captain Sabharwal about the abrupt fuel shutdown. The Captain, having over 15,600 flying hours against First Officer’s 3,400 hours, is said to have replied that he had not executed the action.

India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has already released a preliminary report on Saturday, stating that the fuel switches for both engines did indeed switch from “run” to “cutoff” a second apart, immediately after takeoff. That first report did not state, however, how these switches were manipulated.

With no fuel flowing, the plane headed to London quickly lost engine thrust and altitude. Closed-circuit television video at the airport similarly captured deployment of a ram air turbine (RAT) – a redundant source of power – shortly after takeoff, indicating a catastrophic loss of engine power.

Investigators discovered both fuel switches in the “run” position on the crash scene, and there were signs that both engines had tried to restart prior to the low-altitude impact.

In a memo to Air India employees on Monday, CEO Campbell Wilson said the initial report identified no indication of mechanical or maintenance issues with the plane, as assured that all the necessary maintenance had been done. The AAIB preliminary findings also did not make any safety recommendations to Boeing, the aircraft maker, or GE, the engine maker.

After the initial report’s publication, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing issued private notifications in confidence reaffirming fuel switch lock safety on Boeing aircraft, as shown by a document obtained by Reuters and four knowledgeable sources. The investigation continued as officials attempt to clarify the exact cause of this catastrophic air tragedy.