Out of Fuel, We Need Time

On June 12th, an Air India Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner took off from Mumbai, heading to London. However, just moments after takeoff, the plane suddenly sank from the sky without any warning. The aircraft struck a local nursing school in Ahmedabad, Gujarat—a western Indian state—claiming 241 lives on board and over 25 on the ground. This tragedy is being considered one of the worst aircraft disasters of the decade thus far while also being yet another PR nightmare for Boeing. They immediately began correspondence with international authorities to identify the true root cause.

What agencies are investigating the crash?

Since most fatalities belonged to civilians of Indian citizenship, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau from India’s Ministry of Civil Defense is working on recovering the planes’ black boxes to identify the reason for the crash. Furthermore, with over 50 British passengers on board, the U.K’s Aircraft Investigatory Board is also leading work alongside the Indian officials. Finally, the manufacturer of the aircraft, Boeing Co., is currently cooperating fully with investigators from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 

What’s the preliminary cause?

Initial findings indicate that within seconds of takeoff, the fuel control switches for both engines were flipped to the “cutoff” position, cutting off the flow of fuel and preventing both engines from generating any sort of lift or thrust. The Indian Aircraft Investigation Bureau reported that three seconds into the flight, both switches were moved off the “RUN” position. Voice box recordings from both pilots reveal one urgently asking, “why did you cut off the fuel?” Although both switches were later returned back to their original position, engine thrust could not be restored in time, prompting the aircraft to crash just 30 seconds later.

The sudden and near simultaneous flip of both switches—typically protected by guard locks—raised serious questions among investigators. Aircraft experts stress that such a flipping sequence requires deliberate action, either by human involvement or mechanical fault. While pilot error is a lead factor in the cause of the crash, the absence of any known emergency scenario prompting the fuel cutoff has raised suspicion surrounding the possibility of a mechanical or software malfunction preventing fuel from properly circulating into the engines.

Yet the fuel cutoff concerns do not end there. In 2018, the US Federal Aviation Administration wrote a bulletin noting issues with locking mechanisms on Boeing’s fuel switches—a warning that was not considered mandatory. It appears that warning was not acted upon for the 787-9 Dreamliner. The report notes that in some aircraft, the fuel switches were not locked and could be suspect to accidental triggering. Despite this, authorities from the AAIB and FAA emphasized that so far, no systemic defect had been identified in either the aircraft and engine.

The early evidence underscores the critical role of the fuel-control system in this disaster. Whether due to pilot error, mechanical issues or software problems, the simultaneous fuel cutoff remains central to the investigation. The Civil Aviation Minister of India, Ram Mohan Naidu, urges patience, saying to “Let us wait for the final report.”

Extemp Analysis by: Ty Tan

Question: What reforms to aviation will be prompted following the crash of the Air India Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner?

Background: For this descriptive question, you want to kind of approach it as a problem solution mixed with a present future. I would set up your background in that way

1. The crash of the Air India Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

2. The outlash and investigative process

3. The need for reform in aviation as a result

I think an emotional and powerful SOS could go well here.

Answer: Positive Reforms, to protect people from disaster.

1. Comprehensive Aircraft Safety Checks

2. Set standards for critical aircraft competent design

3. Tightening Aircraft Production Regulatory Oversight

Analysis + Concluding Thoughts

I think for giving reforms, your main goal should be presenting clear areas of unique reform. I think the three points here are all possible reforms, but I’m not 100% sure of the tightness of the link between the crash and prompting that reform. Make sure to draw the logical through line necessary for the crash to be well connected to aviation law reform.

Read More Here:

• Mujib Mashal and Suhasini Raj, The New York Times

• Joel Rose and Russell Lewis, National Public Radio

• David Shepardson, Abhijith Ganapavaram, and Allison Lampert, Reuters

• Times of India