Of accidents and investigations

There's nothing more difficult than conducting an aviation accident investigation. Even more difficult is ensuring that even preliminary conclusions satisfy, if not everyone, at least the majority. This is one of the reasons why investigations often take months and why everyone from aircraft and engine manufacturers to operators and governments is involved. But in the case of Air India 171, the preliminary report of which was released just four weeks after the incident, it has caused a stir, as some consider it rushed.

The accident occurred in India on June 12, involving a Boeing 787-800, which departed from Ahmedabad Airport to Gatwick in England with 230 passengers and 12 crew members, of whom only one survived.

According to the preliminary report, published by the Accident Investigation Bureau of India (AAIB), three seconds after takeoff the engine fuel switches, located on the center console between the captain and co-pilot seats, were moved almost simultaneously to the cut-off position, which interrupted the fuel supply to both engines simultaneously just when the most thrust is needed to acquire speed, and although an attempt was made to restart them, the altitude was already very low, which prevented recovery and the aircraft fell meters ahead.

What the report doesn't explain is how the switches were put into the off position, since this maneuver cannot be done accidentally; it requires intentional action in the face of a specific emergency, such as an engine fire, for example, but no previous emergency has been reported.

Furthermore, the report claims that in the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots can be heard asking the other why he cut off the plane, to which the other replied that he didn't. The report rules out maintenance issues, contaminated fuel, or signs of malfunction before takeoff.

Basically, however, the report suggests that it was a case of “human error,” which, in layman’s terms and in this context, means “pilot error.” This prompted an immediate reaction from the Airline Pilots Association of India and the airline’s own CEO, who even suggested that it “could have been a suicide,” as in the case of the Germanwings crash in March 2015.

Although the report is preliminary and final conclusions are still more than a year away, the issue has raised alarm bells in several sectors, as this report practically exonerates the manufacturer, the American aircraft manufacturer Boeing, despite the fact that a recommendation issued seven years ago by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to review the fuel control switch locking mechanism on several Boeing models was revealed, urging crews to ensure the switch was locked. This prompted a response from Boeing stating that the switches are safe.

The report sparked controversy, and according to experts, it lacks data, which has only hurt those involved. We'll see.