Photo Shows 2 Switches That May Have Been "Touched" in Cockpit Before Air India Plane Crashed
- Investigators looking to unravel the cause of the Air India plane crash have submitted their report
- According to the report, fuel supply to the two engines of the Boeing Dreamliner was cut off shortly before the tragedy
- The investigation into the tragedy was carried out by the Indian Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB)
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Investigators have established what they think was responsible for the Air India plane crash.
The investigation aimed to unravel the cause of the plane crash, which took the lives of 241 people on board and many on the ground on Thursday, June 12.
Source: UGC
The plane, which took off from the Ahmedabad Airport, crashed a few seconds after and killed all on board except Vishwash Ramesh.
The Boeing Dreamliner crashed into the hostel of the BJ Medical College, killing some residents there.
An investigation was launched by the Indian Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and it found that fuel supply switches in the cockpit may have caused the crash.
What are the fuel supply switches in the Boeing Dreamliner?
Fuel cut-off and run switches in the Boeing Dreamliner are used to regulate fuel supply to engines.
Pilots use the fuel switches to start or shut down engines on the ground. They can also be used to manually shut down or restart engines if an engine failure occurs during a flight.
The result of the investigation has been made public, and the experts say the fuel supply to both engines of the aircraft was cut off.
This means that the engines were not getting enough fuel supply. In the Boeing Dreamliner aircraft, there are switches to TURN ON and TURN OFF the fuel supply to the engines.
These switches are labelled CUT OFF and RUN. When they are in the CUT-OFF position, the engines will not receive fuel. But if they are in the RUN position, it means fuel supply to the engines will happen as needed.
Source: Getty Images
Air India plane fuel switches moved from RUN to CUTOFF
According to the investigation, it was likely that the two engines were CUT OFF by the fuel supply using the switches which located between the two pilots’ seats, immediately behind the plane’s throttle levers.
The report says these two vital switches moved from RUN to CUTOFF positions shortly after the Air India flight took off from Ahmedabad.
It says both engines’ fuel cutoff switches were “transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 sec."
This likely caused the two engines to lose power, resulting in the fatal crash that followed.
However, the report stated that both the CUT OFF and RUN switches were found to be in the right positions at the crash site.
It says:
“When fuel control switches are moved from CUTOFF to RUN while the aircraft is inflight, each engines full authority dual engine control automatically manages a relight and thrust recovery sequence of ignition and fuel introduction."
What experts are saying about Air India plane crash
American aviation safety expert John Nance, who spoke to CBS, said no pilot would turn the switches off during flight.
He said:
"No sane pilot would ever turn those switches off in flight."
Also, CNN safety analyst David Soucie said it is rare for the fuel CUT OFF and RUN switches to be accidentally turned off during flight.
He said:
“Throughout the years, those switches have been improved to make sure that they cannot be accidentally moved and that they’re not automatic. They don’t move themselves in any manner."
However, the report did not blame either of the two pilots. The pilots were Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, with over 15,000 hours in his career and First Officer Clive Kunder with 3,400 flying hours.
Source: UGC
Is it possible for pilots to make errors?
The Indian Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) noted that the CUT OFF and RUN switches in the cockpit were switched off, but did not blame both pilots.
Legit.ng asked Promise Orolisen, a researcher with Pan Africa Citizen e-lab, who also previously worked as an air traffic controller at Port Harcourt International Airport, if pilots can make mistakes during flight, and he said safety protocols and intense training minimise such errors. He said that if it happens, it may be due to multiple factors.
He said:
"Pilots can make errors due to fatigue, stress, or inadequate training, but safety protocols and training programs help minimize risks."
Ex-pilot speaks on investigation report
Using a flight simulator, a former pilot faulted the preliminary report on the crash. He said the switches on the plane are well guarded.
He partly said:
"First of all, these switches are physical switches and uh they are properly safeguarded by safety mechanism. So inadvertent malfunction or turning them on or off is not possible. It has to be intentional or it can be a technical malfunction also."
Lady claims God showed her plane crash
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that a Nigerian lady claimed that she saw the Air India crash before it happened.
The lady, identified on Facebook as Peace Ogbonna Daniel, said she saw the event play out before her like a movie.
She said she felt guilty because even though God showed her the impending tragedy, she failed to pray about this.
Joseph Omotayo, the HOD of the Human Interest Desk, contributed to this report, adding an ex-pilot's comments on the latest crash investigation report.
Source: Legit.ng
