Initial findings from the investigation into the Air India Flight AI171 crash have been released. The flight, en route to London Gatwick, crashed just 30 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people onboard. The sole survivor was 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau revealed that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s engines were starved of fuel due to reversed fuel management switches in the cockpit. This error caused both engines to shut down mid-air, with cockpit recordings capturing one pilot questioning the other about the cutoff. Investigators faced difficulties retrieving black box data due to damage, but eventually recovered two hours of cockpit voice recordings and 49 hours of flight data. Experts stress these conclusions are preliminary and further analysis is required. Captain Steeeve noted the complexity of interpreting the data from such a short flight, likening it to untangling a tightly knotted ball of yarn. The final report may take more time to ensure accurate conclusions.
