Srinagar, July 17: A cockpit voice recording from the Air India flight that crashed last month in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, suggests that the aircraft’s Captain may have intentionally cut off fuel supply to the engine, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
The recording reportedly captures the first officer questioning the Captain’s decision to move the engine switches to the “cutoff” position shortly after takeoff. While the first officer appeared alarmed and expressed panic, the Captain remained composed throughout the exchange, the report notes. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said last week that the report is only based on preliminary findings and “one should not jump to conclusions” till the final report is released.
“I don’t think we should jump to any conclusions over this. I believe we have the most wonderful workforce of pilots and crew in the whole world. I have to appreciate all the efforts the pilots and crew of the country are putting, they are the backbone of civil aviation. They are the primary resource of civil aviation. We care for the welfare and well-being of the pilots, too. So let us not jump into any conclusions at this stage and wait for the final report,” he said.
Mr Naidu added, “There are technicalities involved. It will be very premature to comment on the report. The preliminary has come in, but we have to wait for something concrete to come in.”
The details in the preliminary report suggest it was the captain who turned off the switches, the Wall Street Journal says, citing people familiar with the matter, US pilots and safety experts tracking the probe. “The report didn’t say whether turning off the switches might have been accidental or deliberate,” says the US publication.Bottom of Form
