Investigation Reveals Captain's Fuel Cutoff Decision in Air India Crash

A cockpit recording reveals the captain's decision to cut fuel to the engines of an Air India Boeing 787, leading to a crash. The sequence of events highlights the critical moments before and after the lift-off, as detailed by the Indian investigators in their preliminary report.

A cockpit recording reveals a critical decision made by the captain of the ill-fated Air India flight that crashed last month. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the captain cut the fuel flow to the Boeing 787's engines, sparking a chain of events that led to the disaster.

The detailed timeline of events on June 12, as released by Indian investigators, begins with the Air India Dreamliner VT-ANB landing in Ahmedabad from New Delhi. Minutes later, the aircraft requested and received taxi clearance for takeoff on Runway 23.

During its ascent, the cockpit voice recording captured a conversation between the two pilots about the fuel cutoff. The plane began to lose altitude immediately after lift-off, with the engines' performance decreasing sharply. Despite attempts to relight, the aircraft ultimately crashed, with rescue efforts commencing shortly after.