On June 12, Ai171 Air India flight crashed into a residential area shortly after its takeoff from Sardar Vallebhbhai airport from Ahmedabad, in the state of Gujarat. In the images disseminated at the time through social networks it could be seen how the plane flew at very little height and how it rushed against a student residence. In total 260 people died.
A preliminary 15 -page report from the Indian Air Research Office (AIBA) has revealed – thanks to the data of the black box – the last conversation that the pilots held in the cabin. You can hear a discussion in which one of the pilots tells the other Why did he cut the fuel and the other responds “I did not do it”giving more weight to the possibility that the switches move to the ‘Cutoff’ position without prior action.
The plane crashed 29 seconds after taking off
At 13:38:39 the plane took off, but Only three seconds later The fuel switches moved to the cutting position. Ten seconds later, the crew tried to turn on the 1 engine moving it to the RUN position and four seconds later did the same with the 2 engine.
At 13:39:05 one of the pilots made An emergency call: “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday,” is heard. Only six seconds later, the recording stopped. The plane crashed only 29 seconds after takeoff.
Air India did not pass a security inspection notified since 2018
According to the report, the Air India company did not carry out some recommended security inspections in 2018 by the United States Aviation Authority on a possible defect in the fuel switch blocking mechanism, The same that stopped the flow of chest to the engines Three seconds after takeoff.
On December 17, 2018, FAA issued a special aircraft information newsletter (SAIB) NM-18-33, in which warned that the fuel control switches blocking mechanism could be unleashedwhich increased the risk of “unwanted activation.”
“According to Air India information, the suggested inspections were not carried out, since the SAIB was advisable and not mandatory,” says the AAIB report, “says the AAIB report.
What the report discards
The same preliminary report has ruled out that the plane crash was produced as a consequence of the meterological conditions, since they were good. Nor blame the fuelbecause the quality was “satisfactory” and points out that there was no anomalous communication with air traffic control.
Although it is a preliminary report, these findings direct research towards a possible human failure, since there was a security warning on an aircraft system that was ignored.
