Air India - Ahmedabad crash probe preliminary report: Boeing issues statement

Boeing said Saturday that it is supporting the investigation into the crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad, which killed more than 250 people, and has deferred to India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau as the lead authority under international aviation protocols. “Our thoughts remain with the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Air India Flight 171, as well as everyone affected on the ground in Ahmedabad,” the company said in a statement.

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The American plane maker added that it would “continue to support the investigation and our customer,” noting that it would defer to India’s AAIB to provide information about the crash “in adherence with the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization protocol known as Annex 13.”

The statement came after India’s AAIB released a preliminary report into the June 12 crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that killed 241 people on board and 30 people on the ground. The aircraft, en route to London Gatwick, remained airborne for only 32 seconds before crashing into a medical college hostel near Ahmedabad airport, just under a nautical mile from the runway. Only one passenger survived.

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Investigators found that during takeoff, both engine fuel cutoff switches were moved to the “CUTOFF” position, cutting thrust to both engines. Although the switches were reset to “RUN” seconds later, the engines did not recover in time, and the aircraft lost altitude. The report noted that the aircraft had reached a top airspeed of 180 knots moments before the switches were flipped within one second of each other, causing rotor speeds to drop sharply.

The aircraft had undergone recent engine overhauls. In 2018, the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States issued an advisory warning that the fuel cutoff switches on the 787 could be accidentally triggered and recommended protective guards, but Air India had not implemented the non-mandatory advisory.

The investigation is being led by India’s AAIB, with technical support from Boeing, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the FAA, GE Aerospace, and the U.K.’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch, in accordance with the ICAO’s Annex 13 guidelines.

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