Air India: Audio from the cockpit reinforces mystery for falling

During preliminary investigation to crash flight 171 Air india a few days ago, which cost life on 260 peoplethe researchers made a creepy discovery.

A few seconds after take -off, both of the 12 -year -old’s fuel control switches Boeing 787 Dreamliner They moved abruptly to the “stoppage” position, resulting in the stop of fuel to the engines and causing complete loss of power. The transition to the “interruption” position is a move that is usually made only after landing.

Recording from the cockpit records one pilot to ask the other why he was interrupted, with his colleague replying that he did not. Recording does not specify who asked the question or answered. At the time of the take -off, the co -pilot was flying the aircraft while the commander was watching.

The switches returned to their normal position in flight, activating the automatic re -opening of the engine. At the time of the crash, one engine was recovering while the other had reunited, but had not yet regained power.

Air India’s 171 flight stayed in the air for less than a minute before it crashed into a busy neighborhood in Ahmedabad, western India, marking one of the most enigmatic air disasters in India.

The researchers are investigating the debris and recorders of the cockpit to understand what went wrong immediately after take off. The preliminary report of the research – led by Indian authorities with experts from Boeing, General Electric, Air India, Indian regulators and US and United Kingdom participants – raises several questions.

Researchers say fuel switches have a insurance lever and are designed to prevent random activation – they must be pulled upwards to unlock before reversal, a safety feature dating back to the 1950s. They are constructed according to strict standards. Their protective bases further protect them from random blows.

“It would be almost impossible to press both switches with a single movement of one hand, and this makes it unlikely to accidentally activate,” an anonymity of an anonymity of an anonymity in Canada’s BBC researcher told the BBC.

“Was it appropriate or a result of confusion?” Wonders Sean Proutsniki, a former air accident researcher and aviation expert at the University of Ohio, who notes that “the pilots did not report anything unusual.”

Peter Goelz, a former CEO of the US National Transport Security Council (NTSB), said that “the finding is very worrying: a pilot closed the fuel switch within seconds after the start of the flight. There is probably much more in the pitch’s voice recorder than what has been shared, “he added,” the new details suggest that someone in the cockpit has closed these switches. The question is, who and why? The two switches were switched off and then restarted within seconds. “

Researchers believe that the voice recorder of the cockpit – with pilot sound sound, wireless calls and ambient sounds in the cockpit – can hide the key to the riddle.

“The voices have not yet been recognized, which is crucial. Usually, when the voice recorder is checked, people who know the pilots are present to help match voices. So far, we do not yet know which pilot has turned off and activated the switches again, “Geljelz said.

Many experts say that the incident emphasizes the need to place video recording devices in the cockpit, as the image would clarify who had his hand on the interruption switch.

Before boarding the flight, both the pilots and the crew had passed alcohol and had received a flight permit, the preliminary report said. The pilots, based in Mumbai, had arrived at Ahmedabad the day before the flight and had sufficiently resting.

Possible failure?

But researchers also focus on something they describe as an interesting point. It says that in December 2018, the US Federal Air Force Administration issued a special aircraft report that pointed out that some Boeing 787 fuel control switches had been installed with the lock function off.

However, this element was not considered unsafe condition that requires a non -aircraft directive – a mandatory enforcement regulation by law to correct unsafe conditions in a product.

This switch design is used on Boeing 787-8 aircraft, including the crashed Air India aircraft. As the bulletin was advisory, Air India did not carry out the recommended inspections.

Others, however, are not convinced that this is a key issue. “I haven’t heard of this, which seems to be a matter of minor importance. Nor have I heard complaints from pilots – who usually rush to point out such situations. It is worth considering since it is mentioned, but it can simply be a distraction, “Gelja commented.

For his part, Captain Cisore Cinda, a former researcher at the India Air Accident Investigation Office, wonders if the switches were activated due to a problem with the aircraft’s control unit. “Can the fuel stop switches are activated electronically by the airplane control unit without movement by the pilot? If the fuel interruption switches are activated electronically, then this is a reason for concern, “he told the BBC.

The report states that the fuel samples from the refueling tanks were satisfactory. Experts had earlier indicated that fuel infection was a possible cause of double engine damage. It is worth noting that no Boeing 787 or GE Genx-1B engines have been issued, with mechanical damage being excluded for further investigation.

He also said that the aircraft’s RAM was developed – a clear sign of serious damage – and the landing system was found developed.

The RAM Airbina extends to the bottom of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and functions as a reserve emergency generator. It automatically activates in flight when both engines lose power or if all three hydraulic systems record critical low pressure, providing limited power to maintain basic flight systems in operation.

“The growth of the RAM (RAT) strongly argues the conclusion that both engines had been damaged,” Pruchniki commented.

The preliminary report was eagerly awaited by families and friends of the victims of the accident. When the exhibition was finally published on Saturday in India, Imatyaz Ali, who lost his brother, his brother -in -law and their two young children, read it carefully, just to be disappointed by what he said to the BBC that “it was as if it were reading a product. Apart from the last conversation of the pilots, there is nothing that really indicates what caused the crash. ” But he hopes that more details will be made public in the coming months.

“This matters to us. We want to know exactly what happened. Nothing will change for us, we continue to mourn, just as we do from that day. But at least we will have some answers, “Ali said.