Preliminary report not enough to pinpoint cause of Air India plane crash: ex-AAIB chief

by IANS |

New Delhi, July 13 (IANS) The preliminary findings into the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash at Ahmedabad are not enough to determine the exact cause of the accident, and investigators should not draw conclusions at this stage, former Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) Director, Group Captain Aurobindo Handa, has said.

The Air India flight AI171 crashed just seconds after taking off into a medical college hostel building, killing 241 passengers and crew on board the plane and another 19 people on the ground.

A preliminary report released by the AAIB on Saturday stated that both engines lost thrust after the two fuel cut-off switches moved from the ‘RUN’ to the ‘CUTOFF’ position. However, the cockpit voice recorder has revealed that one of the pilots told the other that he did not turn off the fuel control switches. The fuel switches were then returned to the RUN position just before the plane crashed.

Handa said the report presents a factual timeline but does not identify what triggered the failure. “Even though the report is out, it just contains the facts… what has gone on in those 30-odd seconds. It is nothing conclusive,” he said during a panel discussion on NDTV Profit.

He also pointed out that preliminary and final findings often differ in air crash investigations and that a deeper technical analysis is still required. “We have seen the initial findings and the final findings -- they are at variance in the majority of the investigations,” he explained.

Handa said the AAIB is expected to use a process of elimination to rule out functioning systems before identifying the most likely cause. The final report has to be submitted within 12 months, in accordance with the norms fixed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu had also said on Saturday that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s report on the Air India crash was based on preliminary findings, and urged against reaching any conclusions until the final report is released.