UK families ‘troubled’ by ‘very serious questions’ raised by Air India plane crash report

London, Jul 14 (PTI) The families of the British victims of the London-bound Air India plane crash are “troubled and concerned” following the release of a preliminary report and will be seeking answers to the “very serious questions” raised, the UK law firm advising over 20 of the families said on Monday.
     Air India flight AI 171, operated with the Boeing 787-8, enroute to London Gatwick crashed soon after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 260 people, including 241 passengers and crew.
     Of the 53 British nationals on board only one passenger, Vishwas Kumar Prakash on seat 11A, miraculously survived the tragedy.
     Keystone Law, which has been working with aviation experts on the case, pointed to a 'Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin' issued over six years ago by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) relating to faulty fuel cutoff switches in the Boeing Dreamliner 787-8.
     The families are now preparing to pursue answers from Boeing through action in the US courts, while discussions with Air India’s legal representatives continue in London.
     “The families we are representing are troubled and concerned by this preliminary report as it raises very serious questions against Boeing and Air India,” said James Healy-Pratt, Aviation Partner at Keystone Law.
     “There is a documented history of faulty fuel cutoff switches, which clearly created an unsafe condition. Further, there is absolutely no good reason for the fuel cutoff switches to be transitioned to ‘cutoff’ at that critical stage of take-off of AI 171,” he said.
     A 15-page preliminary investigation report into the June 12 disaster, released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) last week, revealed fuel-control switches of the two engines moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position, within the space of one second, leading to immediate loss of altitude.
     In the cockpit voice recording, one pilot is heard asking the other why he cut off the fuel. The other denied having done so.
     “The families will be seeking to obtain answers from Boeing through action in the US courts and will continue discussions with Air India in London, England. Air safety is a right and not a privilege, and we continue to support our group of families in obtaining truth and justice,” said Healy-Pratt.
     Keystone Law welcomed the publication of the preliminary report as it highlights two "specific" areas of concern that require detailed investigation: the integrity of the fuel cutoff switches and what occurred in the cockpit during the 26 seconds between lift-off and the mayday call.
     “The families note that a relevant advisory – Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin NM-18-33 – was issued in late 2018 by the US safety regulator (FAA), relating to faulty fuel cutoff switches, including part number 4TL837-3D, which was fitted to this aircraft,” Keystone said in a statement.
     “This bulletin was issued during the period when independent US Congressional investigations later established that there had been ‘regulatory capture’ of the FAA by Boeing, resulting in grossly insufficient oversight of Boeing that failed to ensure the safety of the flying public,” it added.
     “The families also note that the fuel cutoff switches transitioned from ‘run’ to ‘cutoff’ sequentially just three seconds after lift-off, with one pilot asking the other why he cutoff – and receiving a response that he did not do so. This troubling exchange between the two pilots requires urgent clarification,” it further said.
     On Saturday, the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said it is in the “process of reviewing this preliminary report in detail" as it remains in communication with its Indian counterpart.
     “The UK AAIB has ‘expert’ status in the Indian safety investigation. In accordance with international protocols, release of information on the investigation rests solely with the Indian authorities,” it stated.
     The report released at the one-month mark is a summary of some factual information uncovered so far by the Indian AAIB investigation into the Dreamliner crash.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)