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BENGALURU - The fuel control switch went off within three seconds of take-off, leading both engines to shut down moments before the Air India Boeing 787 London-bound flight crashed in Ahmedabad, said a preliminary report by the Indian government. The 15-page report was released by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) late on July 11, detailing findings from its probe into the plane crash on June 12 that killed 260 people - 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 individuals on the ground. Only one passenger miraculously survived. The crux of the preliminary report is its revelation that "the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cut-off switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 second". In the cockpit voice recording, the report says, "one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so". Within 32 seconds of taking off, the plane had crashed into buildings just outside the Sardar Vallabhai Patel airport, including a medical college hostel. These details were retrieved from an Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR), commonly known as the black box, in the forward section of the plane. The rear black box was substantially damaged, and no data could be downloaded. The report lists damage to the aircraft parts and data from flight recorders. It does not ascertain reasons for the crash, or who is responsible for it. The possibility of one of the pilots inadvertently hitting the switch off is remote, said Mr Hemanth DP, chief executive of the Hyderabad-based Asia Pacific Flight Training Academy. The lock safety mechanism of "lift and twist" is built into the Boeing's fuel controls so that pilots cannot just switch off the fuel to the engine by mistake, he explained. "The fuel control switch cannot be turned off by mistake if the lock system was there. Even if there was an engine problem, like a fire or debris, the pilot would not switch both engines off while airborne," he said, adding that it sounded like the pilots were surprised when they realised that the fuel switch had turned off and they switched it on again to try and prevent the crash. "Unfortunately, they couldn't do much in 30 seconds," Mr Hemanth said. Based on the preliminary report, experts are divided on whether to attribute the crash to an aircraft design flaw or human error. The government report says the particular Boeing 787-8 aircraft had a valid airworthiness certificate from 2025. However, it notes that the United States' Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) on Dec 17, 2018, regarding "the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature". This was based on reports of operators of Boeing 737 planes in which the fuel control switches were installed with the lock disengaged. Similar fuel switch and lock systems manufactured by Honeywell are installed in various Boeing models, including the Boeing 787-8, the type of plane that crashed in Ahmedabad. The SAIB from 2018 warned that should the locking mechanism of the fuel switch be disengaged, it "could result in inadvertent operation that could result in unintended switch movement between the fuel supply and fuel cut-off positions". Usually, to move the fuel switch when the lock is engaged, "it is necessary for the pilot to lift the switch up while transitioning the switch position", the bulletin noted. If the locking feature is disengaged, as it was in the 737s the FAA had examined in 2018, the fuel switch could be moved from Run to Cutoff without lifting the switch, running the risk of "potential of inadvertent operation" of the switch. "Inadvertent operation of the switch could result in an unintended consequence, such as an in-flight engine shutdown," the SAIB said. The FAA did not deem the issue an "unsafe condition" mandating corrective action, but recommended that all owners and operators of the affected planes check that the locking feature of the fuel control switch was engaged, and replace the switch if the lock was found to be disengaged. ST has reached out to the FAA with queries. The crash in Ahmedabad has renewed the long-standing concerns about Boeing's safety lapses in manufacturing, which whistleblowers like Mr John Barnett, a former Boeing quality manager, flagged before his mysterious death in 2024 . Denying his accusations, Boeing said that all its aircraft were built to the highest levels of safety and quality. The company insisted that "safety, quality and integrity are at the core of Boeing's values". India's preliminary report says that Air India did not carry out the recommended inspections as "the SAIB was advisory and not mandatory". Maintenance records of the crashed aircraft show that the throttle control module was replaced in 2019 and 2023 for reasons not linked to the fuel control switch, but the report also says there was no defect reported on the fuel control switch since 2023. Both fuel control switches going off "is highly mysterious and needs detailed investigation, especially in light of the December 2018 FAA directive on the fuel control switches", said Mr Sanjay Lazar, chief executive of Pune-based aviation consultation firm Avaialaz Consultants. To know if "it could have happened mechanically or technically on its own", the complete transcript of the cockpit voice recorder and a probe into the fuel switches are necessary, he added. Retired airline pilot and aircraft safety advisor Captain Mohan Ranganathan told ST that if there was a serious issue in the fuel switch's locking mechanism, the FAA would have insisted on a mandatory fix. "That it is an advisory means they didn't consider that it can happen," he said. "It can only be a deliberate human intervention that moved the fuel switch," said Capt Ranganathan, given that both fuel switches did not have simultaneous failure, but were cut off one second apart. "The report has not clearly identified which pilot handled the fuel selector," he added. Although the report refers to them as "one pilot" and "the other pilot", Capt Ranganathan highlighted that it does say that the co-pilot was flying the aircraft, which means the senior pilot in command was monitoring the take-off check-list items, which includes the fuel selector. A full cockpit voice recording will help identify who said what, because the pilots' headphone mics will have been recorded on different sides, he said. Most of the experts ST spoke with dismissed speculations of "pilot suicide" making the rounds on television channels and social media in India, saying there was no evidence behind such a conspiracy theory. "The reported statements itself show that both pilots were unaware as to how the fuel switch had turned from ON to OFF," Mr Lazar noted. The preliminary report also says that "both pilots had adequate rest prior to operating this flight", and that there was no significant bird activity to suggest a bird strike, putting paid to theories floated by experts and aviation enthusiasts soon after the fatal crash. The flight had adequate fuel of 54,200kg enough for its journey to London Gatwick, and the take-off weight of 213,401kg was within allowable limits of 218,183kg. There were no dangerous goods on the plane. Investigations are ongoing, and a final report is expected within a year.
India's Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has announced an ongoing investigation into three electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers for allegedly availing government subsidies fraudulently. The total sum in question amounts to approximately Rs2.97bn (about $35m). The firms under scrutiny, Hero Electric Vehicles, Benling India Energy and Technology, and Okinawa Autotech; they are accused of violating guidelines tied to FAME II. FAME II was launched in 2019 by India's Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI), that aimed to promote local EV manufacturing and drive electrification in India. It is mainl ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Axiom-4 crew members, including Shubhanshu Shukla, were welcomed with hugs and drinks as they stepped into the International Space Station on Thursday. The newly launched spacecraft -- the fifth in the Dragon series and named Grace -- successfully completed a soft docking with the International Space Station at 4.01pm while orbiting above the North Atlantic Ocean."At 6:31 am EDT (4:01 IST) on Thursday, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station for the fourth private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Mission 4," the National Aeronautics ...Read More >
Mumbai: Air India has issued a statement explaining the reason behind the delay in the take off of the Bangkok-bound Air India Flight AI 2354, on June 25. The flight was delayed for more than 5 hours after hay was discovered lodged beneath the left wing of the aircraft, the airline confirmed in a statement. Reportedly, Flight AI 2354, operated by an Airbus A320Neo, was scheduled to depart Mumbai at 7:45 AM but took off only around 1:00 PM. The airline's immediate action in the matter resulted in the quick removal of the hay, stated the airline. The aircraft was subsequently deemed fit for ope ...Read More >
Pointing to the increase in the country's stature in the world forum, he asked how, under these circumstances, the promises made to farmers cannot be fulfilled. "Policy-making is not on right track," he added.. Jagdeep Dhankhar's comments come amid a spike in farmer protests. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar took up the farmers' issue and questioned the government on their behalf today, directing most of his queries at the Union agriculture minister. Pointing to the increase in the country's sta ...Read More >
Aizawl, June 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) All the government and private schools in Mizoram remained closed on Monday due to heavy rains that triggered landslides, rockfalls, and waterlogging in different parts of the mountainous state, officials said. A senior official of the School Education Department said that Deputy Commissioners of all 11 districts issued separate notifications closing the schools on Monday as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the students. After the beginning of the current spell of heavy rain, earlier, schools were closed across the state for two days on May 29 a ...Read More >
Hyderabad: In a significant boost for 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbharta' in the aerospace and defence sector, and Hyderabad's growing stature as a global aerospace hub, the complete fuselage of the Rafale fighter jet will now be made in India at Hyderabad. This move marks the first time that these Rafale components will be manufactured outside France for the Indian as well as global markets.French aerospace major Dassault Aviation has signed four production transfer agreements with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) for manufacturing key sections of the Rafale fighter jet, including the lateral ...Read More >
NEW DELHI, June 3 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi's high-profile attendance at a global airlines conference this week underscores how much India is banking on a boom in aviation to support wider development goals, but headwinds to its ambitions are gathering force. Undeterred by the uncertainty gripping the aviation sector globally due to trade tensions and shaky consumer confidence, India's biggest airlines are ploughing ahead with orders for new planes, following record deals two year ...Read More >
Investing.com -- India has declined an offer from the United Nations aviation agency to include one of its investigators in the probe of the Air India Boeing (NYSE:BA) 787-8 Dreamliner crash that killed 260 people in Ahmedabad on June 12, according to a Reuters report on Thursday. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) made the unusual move earlier this week by offering to provide investigative assistance without being asked. The ICAO requested that their investigator, who was already in India, be granted observer status in the investigation, but Indian authorities rejected this ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): A non-specific security alert was detected on one of Air India's aircraft on Friday. The aircraft was cleared for the next flight after standard security procedures, the Air India spokesperson said. A statement issued by the Air India spokesperson said, "A non-specific security alert was detected on one of our aircraft. Standard security procedures were duly carried out, and the aircraft has been cleared for the next flight. Air India accords top priority to the safety and security of its passengers and crew." Also Read | Shimla Shocker: Private School Princ ...Read More >
New Delhi: Three Indian citizens vanished mysteriously in Tehran. Darkness closed in as hope seemed lost. A ruthless Pakistani gang with potential links to ISI snatched them away, casting a shadow of fear. But relentless Indian diplomats refused to back down. Against all odds, a daring rescue mission ignited. Now, the captives are free, and a chilling game of espionage comes to light. The Punjab-based trio - Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Jaspal Singh from SBS Nagar and Hushnapreet Singh from Sangrur - had landed in Iran on May 1. Promised a clandestine route to Australia via Dubai and Tehra ...Read More >
Gangtok, June 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) At least 80 tourists stranded in the northern part of Sikkim due to inclement weather and landslides have been safely evacuated, an official said on Friday. A total of four helicopter sorties were conducted from Pakyong Greenfield Airport to Chaten using MI-02, MI-49, and MI-39 helicopters, resulting in the evacuation of 80 individuals. Among those evacuated, 63 persons were tourists, while 17 were locals. To ensure their further travel to Gangtok, the state government arranged state transport buses at the airport for the convenience of the evacuees. In orde ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jun 27 (PTI) India's forex reserves dropped by USD 1.01 billion to USD 697.93 billion for the week ended June 20, the Reserve Bank of India said on Friday. In the previous reporting week, the reserves had jumped by USD 2.29 billion to USD 698.95 billion. Forex reserves had touched an all-time high of USD 704.885 billion in September 2024. Also Read | Ahmedabad Plane Crash Probe: Parliamentary Committee To Grill Boeing and Air India Executives, DGCA Officials; Sources Say 'Multiple Shortcomings' Matter of Concern. For the week ended June 20, foreign currency assets, a major component ...Read More >
New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, June 27: Nearly two weeks after it made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram airport, the UK F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jet will be moved to the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility at the airport as it awaits repairs, the British High Commission stated on Friday. "A UK F-35B aircraft is awaiting repairs at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport after developing an engineering issue. The UK has accepted an offer to move the aircraft to the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility at the airport. The aircraft will be moved to the hangar onc ...Read More >
Kolkata, Dec 6 (PTI) Air India Express, the budget-carrier arm of Air India, is embarking on a significant expansion by increasing its fleet size and introducing new routes, as passenger growth remains robust. The airline, however, has deferred plans to launch direct flights between Kolkata and Dhaka, citing the ongoing political crisis in Bangladesh. "You would recall we had announced our operational plan for Dhaka, which is a new and significant market for us. But because of the situation there, we have deferred those plans," Aloke Singh, Managing Director of Air India Express, said. "As ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], February 3 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) report on the examination of certain leaked audio tapes which allegedly implicate Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh for instigating ethnic violence in the state. A bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar said the CFSL report should be submitted in six weeks in a sealed cover. Also Read | Bengaluru Water Crisis: Residents Brace for Harsh Summer As Groundwater Levels Drop Dangerously Low. The bench then posted the hearing in the week commenci ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Former head of Air India and chairman of the Railway Board Ashwani Lohani is the new Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) director. The official order for his appointment was issued on Wednesday. A 1980-batch officer of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineering (IRSME), Lohani is known for turning around various organisations during his illustrious career. Following his retirement from IRSME service, he joined the GMR Group as the CEO. According to the order dated June 4, his appointment to the post of director, Prime Ministers Museum and Library in the rank and pa ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 26: India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has begun the critical analysis of the black boxes recovered from the wreckage of Air India Flight AI-171, which crashed earlier this month. The Civil Aviation Ministry confirmed that all investigation steps are being carried out as per international norms laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). As a signatory to the ICAO's 1944 Chicago Convention, India investigates aircraft accidents in line with ICAO's Annex 13 and under the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017. Th ...Read More >
NEW DELHI, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government said on Thursday that the black box data of crashed Air India Flight AI-171 has been downloaded to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to its crash recently in the western Indian state of Gujarat. According to India's federal civil aviation ministry, the analysis of Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVR) and Flight Data Recorders (FDR) data was underway. The ministry said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau promptly initiated an investigation and constituted a multidisciplinary team on June 13 in accordance with international norms an ...Read More >
Mumbai: Recurring aircraft defects, unserviceable ground handling gear, and faded runway markings are among a range of safety lapses discovered by the civil aviation regulator after an intensive survey of key airports including Delhi and Mumbai. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered airport operators and airlines to address these safety concerns within a week. The inspections come on the heels of the June 12 crash of an Air India plane in Ahmedabad, killing 241 people on ...Read More >
New Delhi: Alleging "blatant misuse" of agencies to defame its leaders, AAP on Thursday questioned why the first information report filed against former Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain was being kept under wraps and "selective" press notes were being leaked to the media.Bharadwaj, who is Delhi AAP convener, alleged that only two former ministers were named in the case without any reasonable cause while all the officers of the health and public works departments, who were actually responsible for executing the hospital projects, were spared. "Is the FIR so baseless that BJP ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 27 (PTI) Equity investors became richer by Rs 12.26 lakh crore as stock markets surged for the fourth day in a row on Friday amid de-escalation in geopolitical tensions and softening crude oil prices in international markets. On Friday, the BSE benchmark Sensex climbed 303.03 points or 0.36 per cent to reclaim the 84,000 level and settled at 84,058.90. During the day, the Sensex jumped 333.48 points or 0.39 per cent to 84,089.35. Also Read | Ahmedabad Plane Crash Probe: Parliamentary Committee To Grill Boeing and Air India Executives, DGCA Officials; Sources Say 'Multiple Shor ...Read More >
MUMBAI -- Investigators have recovered flight recorder data from the Air India crash earlier this month, the civil aviation ministry has confirmed, marking a key step in the probe. At least 270 people were killed when the London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed less than a minute after taking off on 12 June from Ahmedabad airport in western India. Investigators had earlier recovered both sets of Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFRs) - the "black boxes" - from the Boeing 787 crash site on 13 and 16 June - one from a rooftop, the other from the debris. It could be several weeks befo ...Read More >
Silchar: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday visited the flood-ravaged districts of Hailakandi and Sribhumi in the Barak Valley. He assured affected residents of providing timely disbursement of rehabilitation grants and swift repair of damaged infrastructure.This marks Sarma's second visit to the flood-hit region within four days, underscoring the gravity of the situation. Speaking to the media in Sribhumi after inspecting multiple relief camps, the CM said, "Flood-related problems may persist till July. I will return before Durga Puja to ensure that roads and infrastructure ar ...Read More >
Gurgaon: Two days after a law student died and his friend suffered critical injuries when a car knocked them down as they stood near railing on the service lane of Delhi-Jaipur highway in the early hours of Tuesday, a civil engineer was arrested on Thursday.Mohit (31), an employee of a private company in the city, told police that he got drowsy while driving. He is staying at a PG facility in Sector 14.The student who died, Harsh Singhal (25), was a resident of Om Nagar colony. His friend Abhishek Kumar (23), who is from Shanti Nagar in Sector 11, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital ...Read More >
June 25 (Rtrs) - India would not allow a UN investigator to join a probe of a crashed Air India jet that some safety experts had criticized for delays in analysis of crucial black box data, two senior sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Earlier this week, the United Nations aviation agency took the unusual step of offering India one of its investigators to provide assistance following the Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab 787-8 Dreamliner crash killing 260 people in Ahmedabad on June 12. ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jun 27 (PTI) Maharashtra on Friday recorded 13 new cases of COVID-19, which took the tally of infections to 2,462, and one death, the health department said. A 65-year-old woman suffering from comorbidities, including rheumatoid arthritis, died in Kolhapur, an official said. Also Read | Ahmedabad Plane Crash Probe: Parliamentary Committee To Grill Boeing and Air India Executives, DGCA Officials; Sources Say 'Multiple Shortcomings' Matter of Concern. Since January 1, the state has recorded 2,462 COVID-19 cases and 37 deaths, the department said. Also Read | Did 21-Year-Old Muslim Ma ...Read More >
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: Following public backlash over a video showing Air India SATS executives partying in their Gurugram office shortly after the June 12 Air India flight 171 crash, Tata Group has taken disciplinary action against several people.Four senior officials were suspended from Air India SATS, while multiple others were issued a warning, the company said on Friday.The video, which garnered over 3.8 million views on X, captured several executives dancing with loud music playing during a cele ...Read More >
Investing.com -- Boeing's operational recovery is gaining traction following disruptions caused by a recent strike, according to Bank of America analysts in a note Tuesday. In a note, BofA highlighted key signs of improvement in the aerospace giant's production and delivery operations. The bank, citing Aero Analysis Partners/AIR (AAP/AIR), said: "In the past week alone, the company delivered three 737s, bringing the November total to four." The number of 737s in pre-delivery flights is also said to have increased, with AAP/AIR projecting three more deliveries by the end of the month. Addit ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): BJP MP Gulam Ali Khatana, who was part of the all-party parliamentary delegation to Europe, said that during their recently conclued visit they successfully communicated India's development story and its resolute stand against terrorism, particularly emanating from Pakistan. Highlighting the delegation's key discussions during the tour, Khatana told ANI, 'We discussed how we dismantled the terrorism factory in Pakistan by responding... We also talked about tourism infrastructure, G20 Summit, and projects like the six-lane roads, bridges, solar initiatives, our ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): Amid the ongoing Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, the Defence Ministry is going to take up Rs 10,000 crore proposal to buy three sophisticated spy planes to help Indian Air Force get a clear air-to-ground picture to carry out precision strikes against enemy ground targets like radar stations, air defence units and other mobile objects. The Rs 10,000 crore project for the Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (I-STAR) is expected to be taken up for clearance at a high-level defence ministry meeting scheduled to be held in the four ...Read More >