A recorded conversation between the two pilots of the Air India Boeing 787, which crashed last month in Ahmedabad, India, reveals that it was the more experienced captain, who deliberately shut down the fuel supply to the engines.
This is according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited U.S. sources familiar with the initial investigation of the incident. The crash resulted in the death of 260 people aboard the aircraft and several on the ground.
The conversation between the captain, Sumit Sabawal, 56, and co-pilot Clive Kunder, 32, was reportedly analyzed as part of the preliminary inquiry into the tragedy. Just seconds after the aircraft, which was set to fly to London, took off from the runway, the co-pilot asked why the fuel supply switches for the two engines had been turned to “cutoff,” effectively stopping the engines from receiving fuel.
The captain, with 15,638 flight hours, denied taking this action. However, data from the flight data recorder and the aircraft’s monitoring system indicated that both engine fuel cutoff switches had been flipped from “run” to “cutoff,” one second apart, causing the engines to lose power immediately after takeoff.
Despite the quick loss of engine power, the auxiliary power unit (APU) was activated to power the essential systems of the aircraft. Investigators found the switches in the “run” position in the wreckage, and the engines attempted to restart before the crash. However, it was too late to prevent the tragedy.
Preliminary findings of the investigation have not placed blame, though sources close to the investigation speculated that the fuel cutoff may have been intentional, suggesting the need for a criminal investigation. The airline’s CEO, Campbell Wilson, emphasized that the investigation is far from concluded, urging caution in drawing conclusions from the early reports.
Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) assured that the fuel cutoff switches were completely safe, and no mechanical or maintenance failures were found in the aircraft. Nonetheless, the investigation into the crash is ongoing and will likely take more than a year to complete.
