Backlash as Air India crash report points to possible human error - here's what experts think

As investigators continue to piece together the full picture, early findings of the Air India crash are pointing towards a critical area of concern — the aircraft’s fuel control switches.

The flight, bound for London Gatwick, crashed just moments after taking off from Ahmedabad airport on 12 June, killing all but one of the 242 people on board the plane and at least 19 on the ground. According to the preliminary report by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the two engine fuel control switches on the plane were moved from the "RUN" to "CUTOFF" position.

These switches control fuel flow to the engines and should only be used when the aircraft is on ground, first to start the engines before a flight and later to shut them down at the gate. They are designed so they're unlikely to be changed accidentally, pointing to possible human error on the Air India flight.

The findings include the final conversation between the pilots and show there was confusion in the cockpit as well. When one pilot asked the other why he cut off the fuel, he responded to say he did not do so.

Moments later, a Mayday call was made from the cockpit, but the plane could not regain power quickly enough and plummeted to the ground. Captain Amit Singh, founder of Safety Matters Foundation, an organisation dedicated to aviation safety, told Sky News: "This exchange indicates that the engine shutdowns were uncommanded.

"However, the report does not identify the cause - whether it was crew error, mechanical malfunction, or electronic failure." Previous warning of 'possible fuel switch issue' "The Boeing 787 uses spring-loaded locking mechanisms on its fuel control switches to prevent accidental movement," Mr Singh explained. But a previous bulletin from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) "warned that these switches might be installed with the locking feature disengaged," he said.

This could "make them susceptible to unintended movement due to vibration, contact, or quadrant flex.