Ahmedabad plane crash: One pilot asked, ‘Why did you shut the engine?’ The other replied, ‘I did not’

According to the preliminary investigation report, the crash occurred due to both engines of the plane shutting down.

A preliminary investigation report has been released a month after the Ahmedabad Plane Crash. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) published a 15-page report on 12 July. According to the initial investigation, the crash occurred due to both engines of the plane shutting down.

One Pilot Asked Another – Engine Shut Off?

According to the investigation report, both engines failed one after the other immediately after takeoff. Cockpit recordings revealed that one pilot asked the other if he had shut off the engine. The response was, “I didn’t.” Shortly afterwards, the plane crashed into a medical college building. Over 280 people were killed, including 241 passengers and crew members. Only one person on board survived.

Fuel Supply Cut Off

The initial investigation revealed that both engines failed in mid-air just seconds after takeoff. The fuel cut-off switches changed from RUN to CUTOFF within a second of each other. The fuel supply to the engines was cut off. Cockpit audio has also emerged, in which one pilot asked the other if he had shut off the engine. The other replied, “I didn’t.” Following this, the pilots attempted to restart the engines. One engine restarted, but the other could not be restarted.

No Bird Strike Issue

The report revealed that there were no issues with the fuel. The thrust levers were completely broken, but the black box showed that takeoff thrust was engaged at the time, indicating a disconnect. It should be noted that the thrust levers control the power of the aircraft’s engines. There was no evidence of a bird strike. The sky was clear, and both pilots were medically fit.