Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: New revelations from the preliminary investigation into the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad suggest that one of the pilots may have manually cut off fuel to the engines seconds after takeoff, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The chilling cockpit recording has intensified scrutiny, as the first officer is heard questioning the captain’s unexpected move before the aircraft went down.
Cockpit audio raises concerns
The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, took off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12. Just moments into the flight, the fuel switches for both engines were moved to the “cutoff” position within one second of each other, causing a complete thrust loss. The voice recorder captured First Officer Clive Kunder panicking and asking, “Why did you cut off?” to which Captain Sumeet Sabharwal reportedly responded with calm silence or confusion. The crash killed 260 people, including 19 on the ground, with only one survivor.
Investigation ongoing, authorities urge patience
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) confirmed that fuel switches were turned off just after liftoff, but did not assign blame or determine intent. The civil aviation minister urged the public to wait for the final report before speculating. Meanwhile, global pilots’ body IFALPA stated the preliminary findings raise more questions than answers and warned against media trials. Air India has completed fleet-wide inspections of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) mechanisms and found no mechanical issues. The airline also confirmed TCM (Throttle Control Module) replacements were already in place across all 787-8 aircraft.
