Raises more questions than answers: Aviation expert on Air India crash report

Pune: Aviation expert Sanjay Lazar has raised serious concerns over the preliminary findings of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the deadly Air India flight AI171 crash, saying the report “raises more questions than answers.”

In comments made to ANI, Lazar questioned the decision to only release a single line from the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) transcript. “The AAIB report raises more questions than it answers. There are a lot of gaps, which might be filled as the investigation progresses. But I have issues — how was the US media alerted three days ago before the release? That’s unusual,” he said.

Lazar was especially critical of the limited information shared from the CVR. “By just informing the public about one line about the switches, it leaves a lot of questions hanging. The entire CVR transcript should have been made public,” he said.

He also took issue with the AAIB’s decision to rule out safety recommendations for Boeing and engine maker General Electric. “Saying there are no safety recommendations when the investigation isn’t complete is not appropriate. It’s as if the report has prematurely concluded responsibility lies elsewhere,” he added.

The AAIB on Friday released its preliminary report into the June 12 crash of Air India flight AI171 — a Boeing 787-8 aircraft that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport en route to London Gatwick. The accident killed 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground.

According to the report, both engines shut down within 90 seconds of takeoff. Data from the flight recorder showed that the fuel cutoff switches for both engines were moved from RUN to CUTOFF in rapid succession. One pilot was heard asking, “Why did you cut off?” to which the other replied, “I did not.”

The loss of thrust led to the activation of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT), but the aircraft could not maintain altitude. Despite efforts to restart the engines, only Engine 1 showed signs of recovery, while Engine 2 failed to stabilise. A final “MAYDAY” distress call was made at 08:09 UTC, seconds before the aircraft crashed into a residential area outside the airport.

The investigation remains ongoing.