New Delhi: Even as the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its preliminary report of the Air India AI171 London bound plane crash, the airlines CEO Wilson Campbell wrote to all the staff saying the report found no mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft or engines, and that all mandatory maintenance tasks had been completed.
He also said that the AAIB identified no cause nor made any recommendations and thus urged everyone to avoid drawing premature conclusions as the investigation is far from over and Air India will continue to co-operate with the investigators to ensure they have everything they need to conduct a thorough and comprehensive enquiry.
The message to all the staff of the airline by its CEO came two days after the AAIB in its report said that a cut off in the fuel supply to both the engines of the Air India’s London Gatwick bound AI171 caused last month’s crash in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad that killed over 260 people.
According to the 15 page report prepared by India’s AAIB, the fuel control switches in the cockpit of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner had been flipped, starving the engines of fuel.
Investigators at AAIB were able to get data out of the plane’s black box recorders, including 49 hours of flight data and two hours of cockpit audio, including from the crash.
The report highlighted: “The aircraft had reached an airspeed of 180 knots when both engines’ fuel cutoff switches were transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 sec.”
In his message, Campbell said, “As you would have read, the AAIB’s Preliminary Report on the AI171 accident was released over the weekend. It came a month after the tragic event on 12 June, a period in which not a moment has gone by without us thinking of the passengers, friends, colleagues and wider community who were lost or injured.”
He said: “The release of the Preliminary Report marked the point at which we, along with the world, began receiving additional details about what took place. Unsurprisingly, it provided both greater clarity and opened additional questions.
He also highlighted the new round of speculation in the media and over the past 30 days, an ongoing cycle of theories, allegations, rumours and sensational headlines, many of which have later been disproven.
“Instead of focusing on such interpretations, I suggest we note that the Preliminary Report found no mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft or engines, and that all mandatory maintenance tasks had been completed,” the Chief Executive Officer of the Air India said.
He also pointed out that there was no issue with the quality of fuel and no abnormality with the take-off roll.
“The pilots had passed their mandatory pre-flight breathalyser and there were no observations pertaining to their medical status,” he noted.
He also reminded that, out of an abundance of caution and under the oversight of the DGCA, “every Boeing 787 aircraft operating in our fleet was checked within days of the accident and all were found fit for service”.
“We continue to perform all necessary checks, as we will any new ones that authorities may suggest,” Campbell said.
He also said that the preliminary report “identified no cause nor made any recommendations”.
“So I urge everyone to avoid drawing premature conclusions as the investigation is far from over. We will continue to co-operate with the investigators to ensure they have everything they need to conduct a thorough and comprehensive enquiry,” the Air India CEO said.
He also said that until a final report or cause is tabled “there will no doubt be new rounds of speculation” and more sensational headlines.
“We must nevertheless remain focused on our task and be true to the values that have powered Air India’s transformation journey over the past three years – integrity, excellence, customer focus, innovation and teamwork. Let us not be diverted from what are our top priorities: standing by the bereaved and those injured, working together as a team, and delivering a safe and reliable air travel experience to our customers around the world,” Campbell said.
