Cabin voices of fuel on Palemi flight

If a preliminary report on the 181 Air India flight disaster, which killed 260 people in June – many hoped that it would bring a certain closing measure.

Instead, 15-page report The fuel has been added to the fiery speculation assumption. After all, despite the measured tone of the report, one detail continues to pursue investigators, aviation analysts and the public.

Seconds after takeoff, both fuel switches to 12-year-old Boeing 787 sharply switched to “compartment”, reducing the fuel to the engines and causing complete loss of power, which is usually made only after planting.

The record of the voice of the cab is fixed by one pilot, asking another why he “made an shutdown”, to which the person replies that no. The record does not specify who said that. At the time of takeoff, the pilot flew on the plane while the captain was monitoring.

The switches were returned to a normal flight position, causing an automatic engine. At the time of the catastrophe, one engine resumed the craving and the other was relit, but not yet resumed power. The plane was in the air less than a minute before crashing into the neighborhood in the West Indian city of Ahmedabad.

Since the previous report, several speculative theories appeared – a full report is expected in a year.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and Reuters News Agency reports that “new details in the Air India crash are moving the focus on the older pilot in the cabin.”

Italian newspaper Corriere della sera He claimed that his sources told them that the first officer had repeatedly asked the captain why he “turned off the engines.”

The 56-year-old Subharwal was the captain in the flight, and the 32nd Kondera’s 32nd was a pilot flying on the plane. Together, both pilots had more than 19,000 hours of flight experience – almost half of it on Boeing 787. Both passed all health checks before the flight before the catastrophe.

It is clear that the wave of speculative leaks knocked investigators and angered Indian pilots.

Last week, the Bureau of Investigation Aviation Affairs of India (AAIB) The leading investigator said in the release that “some sections of international media are repeatedly trying to draw conclusions through Selective and unverified reporting“This is described by these” actions (as) irresponsible, especially at a time when the investigation is ongoing. “

Jennifer Khamendy, Chairman of the National Security Council of the US (NTSB), which assisted the investigation, said on X that media reports were “Note and Special” And that a study of this scale takes time. ”

Returning to India, the Indian Commercial Pilot Association condemned the rush to blame the crew as “ill -advised” and “deeply insensitive”, urging restraint until the final report is released.

Sam Thomas, head of the Pilot Airline Association of India (Alpa India), said the BBC that “assumptions have won through transparency,” emphasizing the need to consider the history of maintenance and documentation with the voice voice recorder.

At the heart of the dispute is a brief record of the cabin in the report – a complete transcript, which is expected in the final report, if shedding a clearer light on what really happened.

Canada, based in Canada, the investigator, who preferred to remain unnamed, said there were several opportunities in the statement.

For example, “if the pilot” b “was the one who led the switches – and did it unwittingly or unconscious – it is clear that they later denied it,” the investigator said.

“But if the pilot” A “led the switches intentionally and with intent, he may have asked the question knowing that the voice cabin recorder would be studied and to reject the attention and avoid identification as responsible.

“Even if AAIB is eventually able to determine who said it was not strongly answered by the question” Who has disabled the fuel? “.

“We can never even know the answer to this question.”

Investigators said the BBC that when heavy evidence emerged that fuel switch had been disabled by hand, it is still important to keep the “open mind”.

Collecting Digital Engine Management (FADEC) in the full part of the plane – tracking the health and engine performance – may theoretically cause automatic shutdown when it receives false signals from sensors, some pilots suggest.

However, if the pilot call – “Why did you reduce (fuel)?” – It happened after the switch moved to the compartment (as noted in the previous report), it would undermine this theory. In the final report, it is likely to include the dialog that undergo and detailed engine data analysis to clarify this.

Speculations were nourished less to those who said that it was no longer said.

The previous report made a transcript of the full cabin (CVR), discovering only one, telling the line from the last moments.

This selective disclosure raised the questions: was there an investigation into confidence in the speakers, but decided to abandon the rest of the sensitivity? Or are they still sure whose voices they heard and took more time to fully investigate this issue before you publish what conclusions?

Peter Goltz, a former head of the NTSB, says that AAIB should release a transcript for a voice voice recorder with a pronounced pilot voice.

“If there were any faults during the take -off, they would be recorded in the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and probably would have launched alerts in the flight control system – it would almost certainly notice the crew and discuss it even more importantly.”

Investigators urge to restrain the conclusions.

“We need to be careful because it is easy to assume that if the switches have been disabled, it must mean intentional actions – pilot errors, suicide or something. And this is a dangerous way to go with the limited information we have,” said Sean Pruchnytsky, a former airline investigator and an aviation expert.

At the same time, alternative theories continue to spread.

Indian newspapers include Indian Express, which indicated possible opportunities Electric fire in the tail as the focus. But in the previous report it turns out: the engines are closed because both fuel switches were transferred to the compartment – the fact that is supported by the voice recorder. When a tail fire occurred, it probably happened after the exposure caused by spilled fuel or damaged batteries, an independent investigator said.

Last week, AAIB GVG leader Yugandhar emphasized that the previous report was aimed at “providing information about” what happened “.

“Early for certain conclusions,” he said, emphasizing that the investigation is ongoing, and the final report will determine “root causes and recommendations”. He also promised to share updates on “technical or public interests” as they occur.

Summarizing the results, Mr. The rush said that the probe “comes down to two opportunities – either intentional action, or confusion, or problems related to automation.”

“The report is in no hurry to blame the human mistake or the intention; there is no evidence that it was done intentionally,” he added.

In other words, without smoking a gun – just a difficult expectation of answers that cannot even appear.