(CTN News) – According to a preliminary investigation report released early Saturday, the engines of the Air India flight that crashed last month were starved of fuel because fuel management switches were switched from “run” to “cutoff” seconds before impact.

According to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau of Air India, the switch and configuration change caused confusion among both pilots, resulting in a sudden decrease in engine performance shortly after departure.

An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner collapsed near Ahmedabad in northwest India on June 12, resulting in the deaths of at least 260 individuals, 19 of whom were on the ground.

The accident was one of the deadliest aviation catastrophes in India, with only one passenger surviving. In addition to 12 staff members, there were 230 individuals on board, including 169 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.

The report, which indicates that the flight lasted approximately 30 seconds from the time of takeoff until the accident, states that “the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from the RUN to CUTOFF position one after another” less than a second after the aircraft reached its maximum recorded speed.

The report did not provide an explanation for the potential relocation of the switches to the cutoff position during the flight.

Indian fuel control valves start and stop aviation engines’ gasoline delivery.

The report indicated that the aircraft was unable to halt its descent once it began to lose altitude, even after the switches were turned back into the run position.

One of the pilots transmitted the phrase “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY,” according to the account.

Terry Tozer, a former airline pilot and aviation expert, has characterized the decision to deactivate the engine cutoff switches mere seconds after departure as “absolutely bizarre.”

Regrettably, they were unable to allocate an adequate amount of time for the engines to recuperate, as they were only just beginning to do so because of the exceptionally low altitude.

The report also addressed the confusion that existed in the cockpit prior to the calamity.

The voice recorder in the cockpit captured one pilot in the final seconds of the flight inquiring as to why the other pilot had disconnected the gasoline. The report says that “the other pilot replied that he did not do so.”

The initial evaluation did not provide any recommendations for Boeing’s subsequent actions, despite the company’s declaration that it “stands prepared to support the investigation led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.”

The press release concluded, “We extend our sincere condolences to the families of the passengers and crew on Air India Flight 171, as well as to all those impacted in Ahmedabad.”

Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, the minister of civil aviation in India, characterized the report’s conclusions as preliminary. Furthermore, he advised against “rushing to any conclusions regarding this matter.”

Naidu told reporters, “We should await the final report.”

Air India has issued a statement indicating that it is providing its complete support to the authorities conducting an investigation into the accident.

“Air India collaborates closely with regulators and other stakeholders.” “We are entirely committed to collaborating with the AAIB and other authorities as they continue their investigation,” the statement declared.

The plane’s black boxes, which were a combination of cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders, were discovered and subsequently downloaded in India in the days following the accident.

To prevent future incidents of this nature, Indian officials also conducted more comprehensive examinations of Air India’s entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Air India maintains a fleet of 33 Dreamliners.

SOURCE: AP