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Overview
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released a 15-page preliminary report detailing events that led to the crash of an Air India aircraft within seconds of takeoff. The report focuses on flight data, cockpit voice recordings, and aircraft system behavior to reconstruct the incident timeline and identify potential causes.
Key Sequence of Events
1. Takeoff and Acceleration
- Time: 08:08:42 UTC
- The aircraft reached 180 knots indicated airspeed (IAS) — the maximum recorded speed before the crash.
- At this exact moment, both engines (Engine 1 and Engine 2) experienced fuel cutoff switch transitions:
- Engine 1: switched from RUN → CUTOFF
- One second later: Engine 2 followed, also switching RUN → CUTOFF
- These switches effectively shut down both engines during a critical phase — shortly after takeoff.
2. Cockpit Conversation
- Audio from the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) captured confusion between the pilots:
- One pilot is heard asking the other: “Why did you cutoff?“
- The other replies: “I did not do so.“
- This exchange suggests that neither pilot intentionally activated the engine fuel cutoffs, raising questions about accidental activation, system malfunction, or external factors.
3. Attempted Engine Restart
- Time: 08:08:52 UTC
- The Engine 1 fuel cutoff switch was moved back from CUTOFF → RUN, indicating an effort to restart the engine.
- Time: 08:08:56 UTC
- Four seconds later, Engine 2 was also moved from CUTOFF → RUN.
- These actions indicate that the crew attempted a rapid restart of both engines, but the window of recovery was extremely narrow.
4. Emergency Call and Crash
- Time: 08:09:05 UTC
- “MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY” call transmitted by one of the pilots to Air Traffic Control (ATC).
- ATC received the distress call but no further communication followed.
- Shortly after, ATC visually confirmed that the aircraft had crashed.
Preliminary Observations
A. Engine Shutdowns
- Both engines shut down within seconds of takeoff — an extremely rare and catastrophic event.
- The 1-second delay between the two shutdowns could suggest:
- Simultaneous manual error
- Systemic malfunction
- Unintended input (e.g., switch misplacement or failure)
B. Pilot Confusion
- The cockpit conversation reveals neither pilot believed they initiated the cutoff.
- This implies either a hardware/software issue, accidental input, or a lack of situational awareness under stress.
C. Recovery Attempt
- The flight crew attempted to reverse the cutoff within 10–15 seconds — a rapid but ultimately unsuccessful recovery.
D. No Response Post-MAYDAY
- The lack of response after the MAYDAY suggests complete loss of control, power, or possibly an irrecoverable descent.
Ongoing Investigation Focus Areas
- Cockpit Ergonomics & Human Factors
- Were the fuel cutoff switches easily accessible or vulnerable to accidental activation?
- Could pilot fatigue, miscommunication, or stress have contributed?
- Mechanical & Electrical Systems
- Did a technical fault or software glitch trigger the cutoff switches?
- Were there maintenance or system irregularities previously reported?
- Training and Emergency Protocols
- How prepared were the pilots for dual engine failure scenarios?
- Were standard operating procedures followed during the emergency?
- Black Box & Flight Data Recorder Analysis
- Further insights are expected as detailed data from FDR and CVR is fully decoded and reviewed.
Conclusion
The preliminary report paints a picture of a sudden and unexplained dual engine shutdown during takeoff, followed by a brief, intense effort to restart the engines before a tragic crash. The cause of the shutdowns remains unclear but is the central focus of the ongoing investigation. Future updates will delve deeper into whether the event was due to pilot error, mechanical failure, or design vulnerabilities.
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