Air India Issues Fresh Statement On AI171 Crash Probe Report, : ‘No Mechanical or Maintenance Issues With Engines'

Air India Crash: Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has responded after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau released its preliminary report on the Air India plane crash.

“The Preliminary Report found no mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft or engines, and that all mandatory maintenance tasks had been completed. There was no issue with the quality of fuel and no abnormality with the take-off roll. The pilots had passed their mandatory pre-flight breathalyser and there were no observations pertaining to their medical status,” Wilson said.

He added, “I would also remind that, out of an abundance of caution and under the oversight of the DGCA, every Boeing 787 aircraft operating in our fleet was checked within days of the accident and all were found fit for service. We continue to perform all necessary checks, as we will any new ones that authorities may suggest.”

The Air India 171 crash in Ahmedabad on June 12 claimed at least 270 lives, including 241 of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff, raising urgent questions about what went wrong in those critical moments.

Now, the preliminary investigation report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, released this week, has revealed key findings in the case. The report confirms that both engines of the aircraft shut down within moments of takeoff.

According to the report, a possible fuel cutoff led to no fuel flow to the engines. It noted that the fuel cutoff switches, responsible for controlling fuel flow, shifted from the 'RUN' to the 'CUTOFF' position almost simultaneously, within a second of each other, causing both engines to fail.