
July 11 (UPI) — The fuel switches to both engines on the Air India Flight 171 moved to the “cutoff” position immediately before the crash that killed 260 after taking off on June 12.
The two switches that control the fuel supply to the two jet engines on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner were switched to the off position as the aircraft took off, a preliminary report released by investigators on Friday, The Seattle Times reported.
The engines shut off within a second of one another, which caused the aircraft to crash just a mile away from the Ahmedabad, India, airport, India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said in the preliminary report.
The crash killed 241 passengers and crew, plus 19 others on the ground, but one person survived the disastrous crash.
“Air India stands in solidarity with the families and those affected by the AI 171 accident,” the company said in a statement. “We continue to mourn the loss and are fully committed to providing support during this difficult time.”
Airline officials are working with investigators and other authorities to determine the exact cause of the crash, according to the unattributed statement.
The investigation into its cause has focused on the two fuel-control switches that are located in the aircraft’s cockpit, which investigators said were changed from the “run” position to “cutoff,” according to CNN.
“In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other, ‘Why did he cut off'” the fuel supply to the engines, the report says. “The other pilot responded that he did not do so.”
The aircraft had attained a speed of 180 knots, or about 207 mph, when first one and then the other switches were changed to the cutoff position about a second apart, which caused the aircraft to lose its lift and crash, investigators said.
The switches were returned to the “run” position, but it was too late, and one of the pilots called out, “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday,” the report says.
The flight was bound for London’s Gatwick Airport but was airborne for only 32 seconds and crashed just a mile from the airport.
The flight’s captain was a 56-year-old male with more than 15,000 hours of flight experience, and the flight’s first officer was a 32-year-old male with more than 3,400 hours of flight experience.
The captain and first officer tested negative for intoxicating substances before the flight, the aircraft was in good condition and its weight was within acceptable limits, according to the preliminary report.
The flight took off at 1:30 p.m. local time and was scheduled to land in London about five hours later.
Crash victims include 169 from India, 53 from the United Kingdom, seven from Portugal and one from Canada.
The lone survivor is from the United Kingdom and escaped through an opening in the fuselage.
The aircraft was built at Boeing’s Everett, Wash., facility, recorded its first flight in 2013 and was delivered to Air India in 2014.
The 787 Dreamliner is Boeing’s smallest wide-body commercial aircraft and holds up to 242 passengers and crew.
The preliminary report was released 30 days after the crash in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s guidelines, which requires receipt of such reports within 30 days of a fatal crash.
Investigators from the United States and the United Kingdom are assisting the investigation.
News
After years of rumors and one unforgettable collab, Eminem x P!nk just sent shockwaves through the music world — a 2026 World Tour kicking off in London
SOMETHING BIG IS COMING… 🚨After years of rumors and one unforgettable collab, Eminem x P!nk just sent shockwaves through the music world — a 2026 World Tour kicking off in London 🇬🇧. But here’s what’s got fans losing sleep: the setlist leak hints at unreleased tracks, mysterious titles like “Glass Hearts” and “After…
MISSING FOR 10 DAYS: Oakland café owner Amy Hillyard, 52, vanished during what should have been a routine afternoon walk on March 25. Police are now combing through over 50 security cameras in the neighborhood — searching for the moment she disappeared down a quiet street… wearing the same tan jacket seen in the last sighting
Latest update on search for missing Oakland coffee shop owner Amy Hillyard: ‘Combing through hours of tapes’ An update was provided Saturday afternoon in the search for missing coffee shop owner Amy Hillyard, who was last seen more than a…
THE 30-SECOND RADIO CALL: KENWOOD BUS CRASH TIMELINE GETS A NEW DETAIL. 🚌📻 Emergency radio logs reportedly show the first call about the Highway 70 crash came less than 30 seconds after impact. Witnesses say the bus had already drifted across the center line before anyone understood what was happening. Now investigators are looking closely at what happened inside the bus just before that call was made
On March 27, 2026, shortly before noon on Highway 70 near Cedar Grove in Carroll County, Tennessee, a Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools (CMCSS) bus carrying 24 eighth-grade students and five adults from Kenwood Middle School drifted across the double yellow lines….
THE “NO BRAKE” QUESTION: NEW DASHCAM FROM THE KENWOOD BUS CRASH IS GOING VIRAL. 🚌📹 Parents reviewing the Highway 70 footage say they can’t see any brake lights before the impact. Instead, the bus appears to glide across the center line. Crash analysts now say that one detail could change the entire timeline of the tragedy
On March 27, 2026, a Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools (CMCSS) bus carrying 24 eighth-graders and five adults from Kenwood Middle School was traveling on Highway 70 near Cedar Grove in Carroll County, Tennessee. The students were excited for a STEM field…
THE 7:58 MYSTERY: KENWOOD BUS DASHCAM CAPTURES A MOMENT THAT INVESTIGATORS CAN’T IGNORE. 🚌📹 The footage shows the school bus slowly drifting across the double yellow lines on Highway 70 — no sudden braking, no sharp correction. Seconds later, the crash happens. Now experts say those final moments may reveal something the original reports never explained
On March 27, 2026, shortly before noon, a Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools (CMCSS) bus carrying 24 eighth-grade students and five adults from Kenwood Middle School traveled along Highway 70 near Cedar Grove in Carroll County, Tennessee. The group was heading to…
HEROIC FATHER’S FINAL MOMENTS Ryan Jennings, a father from Maine, died saving his children from a rip current during a family vacation in Florida — but his final goodbye words left everyone in stunned silence👇👇
Heroic Maine father dies saving his children from rip current during Florida family vacation A heroic father from Maine was killed while he rescued two of his children who were caught in a strong rip current during a family trip…
End of content
No more pages to load