FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – The fuel cutoff switches controlling both engines on the Air India Boeing 787 that crashed seconds after takeoff on June 12 had been moved to the “cutoff” position moments before the jet slammed into nearby buildings, according to a preliminary investigation released early Saturday.
The report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau does not assign blame or draw final conclusions but notes a key exchange between the pilots: one asked the other why he had shut off engine fuel supply, to which the second pilot replied that he had not.
The crash killed 260 people, including nearly all 241 passengers and crew on board, as well as 19 people on the ground. Only one individual is reported to have survived the impact, which occurred close to the airport perimeter.
The findings raise serious questions about cockpit procedures and potential mechanical or human error, though investigators caution that a full analysis is still underway.