Ahmedabad Air India Plane Crash Investigation Report Released: All You Need To Know: Findings, Where to Download?

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AIIB) has released a 15-page preliminary probe report on the Air India plane crash that killed 260 people in Ahmedabad in June. Let’s delve into the key findings of the report:

1. Fuel Supply Switches Were Moved Before Air India Plane Crash

The most prominent and key finding of the preliminary report of the AIr India Plane crash is tha the fuel supply switches were moved just before the plane crashed. The fuel switches moved from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ within seconds of each other after takeoff.

2. Cockpit Voice Recordings

The AAIB’s investigation into the Air India crash in Ahmedabad found that cockpit audio captured a brief exchange between the pilots moments before the tragedy. Soon after take-off, the fuel cutoff switches shifted from ‘Run’ to ‘Cut Off’ and were later restored. One pilot questioned, “Why did you cut off [fuel]?” while the other denied doing it.

3. Pilots Tried To Restart Engines

The report also disclosed that the pilots attempted to restart the engines, but only one showed signs of responding. While one engine was beginning to build thrust as the plane went down, the other managed to restart but couldn’t produce enough power to aid recovery.

4. Crash Destroyed Five Buildings

At least five buildings were destroyed in the crash. The plane had crashed into the vicinity of BJ Medical College hostel. AAIB also shared the following picture showing the locations of the five buildings:

5. Wreckage And Impact:

After takeoff, the aircraft impacted the BJ Medical College hostel which is 0.9 NM from the departure end of Runway 23. The Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) was not activated during this event. The wreckage, from the first impact point till the last identified aircraft item, was distributed in an area of approx. 1000 ft * 400 ft. A layout of the crash site has been given in the figure below indicating the significant parts of the aircraft. The buildings at the wreckage site have been labelled alphabetically from A-F in the layout for easy reference.

6. Report Confirms Ram Air Turbine (RAT) Was Deployed

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) preliminary report on the Air India crash in Ahmedabad highlighted a crucial moment captured on CCTV: the deployment of the aircraft’s Ram Air Turbine (RAT) just seconds before the aircraft struck the ground. According to the report, both engines’ N2 rotor speeds had dropped below the minimum idle threshold, effectively indicating a loss of core engine power. This triggered the RAT’s hydraulic pump to begin supplying essential power to critical systems at approximately 1:38:47 IST, shortly before impact. The RAT deployment visually confirmed the total loss of normal engine-driven electrical and hydraulic power on board.