Air India Ahmedabad crash: 10 key takeaways from AAIB's preliminary report
PTC Web Desk: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released a 15-page preliminary report detailing initial findings on the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash that occurred on June 12 in Ahmedabad. The report provides a detailed timeline of the events leading up to the tragedy, which claimed 259 lives, including 240 passengers, 19 persons on the ground, and left just one survivor.
Here are the top 10 takeaways from the preliminary investigation:
No safety recommendations issued yet: As of now, the AAIB has not released any operational safety recommendations for Boeing 787-8 aircraft or GE GEnx-1B engine operators.
Partial recovery in Engine 1: After the shutdown, Engine 1’s core deceleration stopped and began to recover, suggesting relight attempts were somewhat effective.
Engine 2 failed to regain stability: While relight procedures were initiated, Engine 2 could not stop its deceleration and failed to stabilize, despite multiple attempts to restore fuel flow.
Fuel cutoff switches unexpectedly triggered mid-air: At 13:38:42 IST (08:08:42 UTC), just as the aircraft reached 180 knots indicated airspeed, both engines’ fuel cutoff switches moved from ‘Run’ to ‘Cutoff’, cutting fuel supply.
Pilots attempted engine relight: Within seconds, fuel switches for both engines were turned back to ‘Run’, and data showed Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) began rising, indicating relight efforts were in progress.
Cockpit audio captured pilot confusion: Voice recordings revealed a conversation where one pilot asked, “Why did you cut off?” and the other responded, “I did not do so,” indicating a possible miscommunication or malfunction.
Engines dropped below idle speed: The Engine and Aircraft Flight Recorder (EAFR) confirmed that N2 rotor speeds in both engines dropped below minimum idle levels, a critical indicator of engine power loss.
Rear flight recorder too damaged for data: The aft section of the EAFR was found heavily damaged, making it impossible to retrieve data using standard download methods.
Additional evidence being collected: The investigation is ongoing. The AAIB is currently gathering further evidence from various stakeholders, which will be analysed in the next phase.
EGT rise confirmed combustion activity: Flight data showed that EGT values rose during relight attempts, confirming that fuel combustion occurred in both engines after the switches were returned to ‘Run’.
- With inputs from agencies
