Just last month, an Air India crash in Ahmedabad would tragically become the world’s deadliest aviation accident in a decade. It was responsible for the deaths of 260 individuals. Crews still searching for victims. On Saturday, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released the preliminary report. It amplifies urgent calls to action, particularly around the tragic incident’s circumstances.
The AAIB, an autonomous office under India’s civil aviation ministry, is at the head of the investigation into the crash. The report shows that the plane’s engine fuel switches changed from “run” to “cutoff.” This striking reversal happened just seconds apart from each other. This incident is used to identify the dynamic change in engine state as the main cause leading to this catastrophic failure.
This crash has brought a national outcry and national media attention due to the number of deaths. It sadly represents a new aviation safety milestone. Ten years ago, the world suffered an aviation tragedy of equal scale. That makes it all the more important to investigate the events in detail and comprehensively right now.
These are just some of the alarming issues found by the AAIB. As of now, they have made no such recommendations for Boeing or General Electric (GE), the manufacturers of the aircraft’s engines. They were careful to note that the investigation is still in its early stages.
“At this stage of investigation, there are no recommended actions to Boeing and/or GE engine operators and manufacturers.” – India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau
The release of the preliminary report is an important milestone. Only then can we understand what allowed this calamity to occur. Investigators will examine other factors leading to the crash, including possible mechanical failure and human factors such as the driver’s decision-making.
While investigators continue going above and beyond to piece together the facts, families who lost loved ones in this terrible tragedy continue waiting for answers and accountability. This crash has devastated the aviation community and the general public. It underscores the danger posed by a lack of protective safety measures that led to this attack and the need for stronger protections against similar future incidents.