AAIB Releases Preliminary Report on Deadly Air India Ahmedabad Crash

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released a 15-page preliminary report into the Air India crash that occurred in Ahmedabad on June 12, providing the first official account of the chain of events that led to the tragic accident involving a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.

The flight, operating with 241 passengers and crew, crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel complex shortly after takeoff, killing 240 onboard and 19 people on the ground. Only one passenger survived.

The report offers early insights into the aircraft’s engine behavior, crew actions, and system data, though no conclusions or safety recommendations have yet been made. The AAIB says further evidence from stakeholders is still being gathered and analyzed.

Key Findings from the Preliminary Report:

1. No Safety Recommendations Issued (Yet):
   The AAIB has not issued any safety directives for Boeing 787-8 aircraft or GE GEnx-1B engine operators at this stage.

2. Partial Recovery Observed in Engine 1:
   Engine 1 showed signs of recovery after an initial failure, with its core deceleration halting and slowly reversing.

3. Engine 2 Failed to Stabilize:
   Although Engine 2 briefly relit, it failed to maintain core speed and continued decelerating despite repeated attempts to reintroduce fuel.

4. Mid-Flight Fuel Cutoff Activation:
   At 13:38:42 IST, the aircraft reached 180 knots indicated airspeed, just before both engines’ fuel cutoff switches moved from ‘Run’ to ‘Cutoff’, triggering a power loss.

5. Immediate Relight Attempt:
   The flight crew switched both engines’ fuel levers back to ‘Run’ within seconds. A spike in Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) indicated combustion efforts during the relight.

6. Cockpit Audio Suggests Miscommunication:
   Cockpit voice recordings captured one pilot asking, “Why did you cut off?” to which the other replied, “I did not do so,” pointing to confusion or accidental activation of fuel switches.

7. Engines Dropped Below Idle Speed:
   Engine data confirmed both engines’ N2 core speeds fell below the minimum required for idle, indicating a total loss of thrust.

8. Rear Flight Recorder Severely Damaged:
   The aft Engine and Aircraft Flight Recorder was too damaged to extract data using standard methods, complicating the analysis.

9. Investigation Still Ongoing:
   Investigators are in the process of collecting more evidence from manufacturers, maintenance teams, and operational records to complete the next phase of the probe.

10. EGT Rise Confirms Combustion During Relight Attempts:
    Flight data showed both engines’ EGTs rose following the reactivation of the fuel switches, confirming that relight attempts briefly succeeded in initiating combustion.

The AAIB emphasized that this is only an initial report and that more detailed findings will emerge as the investigation progresses.