Air India Crash: Preliminary Report Points to Deliberate Engine Fuel Cutoff
A preliminary report on the Air India flight AI171 crash, which claimed 260 lives, indicates that the fuel supply to the engines was cut off shortly after takeoff. The report, released by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, stated that the fuel cutoff switches in the cockpit were moved to the “cutoff” position within a second of each other. The investigation further noted that the pilots had conflicting accounts regarding who initiated the cutoff. The report found that the plane then lost altitude and crashed into a residential area, yet, Boeing and engine maker GE were not deemed responsible.
John Q. Hosedrinker