Air India Plane Crash: Black Box Suggests Pilot Shut Off Fuel Supply

CNBC AI News, July 17th – A preliminary U.S. investigation into the recent Indian Airlines crash suggests a stunning potential cause: the pilot may have deliberately shut off the fuel supply to both engines, according to a report by Chinese state media outlet CCTV.

Sources familiar with the investigation, citing black box recordings, indicate the pilots’ cockpit conversation has shifted the focus of the inquiry from potential technical malfunctions to a possible case of crew error.The recording revealed dialogue between the two pilots.

Indian Airlines has yet to issue a formal response, and the information awaits official confirmation.

The incident involved a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route from India to the UK on June 12th. The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat, India, resulting in the tragic loss of over 270 lives, both on board and on the ground.

This marked the first fatal accident involving the Boeing 787, a flagship model for the American aerospace giant. Both black boxes were recovered and subsequently dispatched to the United States for in-depth analysis.

On July 12th, Indian authorities released their initial investigation report, pinpointing the disruption of the engine fuel supply as the direct cause of the catastrophic event.

Crucially, the report highlighted that the fuel switches for both engines simultaneously moved from the “run” position to “cut-off” during the critical climb phase of the flight.

However, the preliminary findings have sparked significant debate and skepticism. Aviation safety expert Jeffrey, pointed out that operating the fuel switches on a Boeing 787 requires “at least two distinct actions,” making accidental or negligent operation highly improbable.

The notion that the pilots intentionally disabled the engines shortly after takeoff also seems, Jeffrey argues, “highly illogical,” adding a layer of complexity to the already tragic event.