The preliminary report into the crash of Air India Flight 171 has sparked controversy over a key detail: the cockpit voice recording that captures the moment when fuel-control switches were moved to “cut-off”, causing total power loss. Despite the measured tone of the report, speculation is rife among investigators, aviation analysts, and the public alike.
The controversy centers around who turned off the fuel controls – was it pilot error, or a deliberate act? The full transcript of the conversation in the cockpit voice recording has not been released, fueling speculation about what happened. Some believe that if the switches were moved off intentionally, the pilots would have noticed and discussed it with each other.
However, others argue that the lack of clear evidence means that we may never know for certain who was responsible. A glitch in the plane’s Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system could trigger an automatic shutdown, but this theory is undermined by the timing of the pilot’s exclamation – ‘why did you cut-off [the fuel]?’.
The Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has urged restraint and transparency, warning against drawing conclusions based on limited information. The investigation team has released a statement saying that “certain sections of the international media are repeatedly attempting to draw conclusions through selective and unverified reporting”.
As the investigation continues, alternative theories have emerged, including a possible electrical fire in the tail. However, the preliminary report makes clear that the engines shut down because both fuel switches were moved to cut-off – a fact backed by recorder data.
The probe “boils down to two possibilities – either deliberate action or confusion, or an automation-related issue”, according to former airline accident investigator Shawn Pruchnicki. The investigation team is working to identify the root causes and make recommendations, with the final report expected in a year or so.
For now, investigators are urging restraint and caution, emphasizing that it’s easy to assume that if the switches were turned off, it must mean intentional action – pilot error, suicide, or something else. The wait for answers continues, but one thing is clear: the Air India crash investigation will be protracted and complex.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn9yw0rljwvo