Both engines of the recently crashed Air India airplane had shut down mid-air within seconds of take-off, showed a preliminary investigation report released on Saturday by the Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (ABI).
According to Indian media, the report said that before the Flight AI-171 plane crashed, the switches controlling the fuel flow of the two engines switched from "RUN" to "CUT OFF" within a second of each other, which caused the aircraft engines to stop working. The cockpit voice recorder shows that one of the pilots asked, "Why did you cut off?" and the other pilot replies, "I didn't."
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Air India crash report shows both engines shut down shortly after takeoff
Air India crash report shows both engines shut down shortly after takeoff
Air India crash report shows both engines shut down shortly after takeoff
Air India crash report shows both engines shut down shortly after takeoff
The accident report also showed that both switches were moved back to the "RUN" position and while engine 1 showed signs of recovery, but engine 2 could not.
"The CCTV footage obtained from the airport showed Ram Air Turbine (RAT) getting deployed during the initial climb immediately after lift-off. No significant bird activity is observed in the vicinity of the flight path. The aircraft started to lose altitude before crossing the airport perimeter wall," the report said.
The report noted that the RAT was deployed, indicating a total loss of power and thrust in the aircraft. The report also showed that the flap settings and landing gear positions were normal at the time of the crash.
The report said that these facts will become a focus area for future investigations.
The London-bound Air India aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed on June 12 shortly after takeoff from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, about 17 km south of Gandhinagar, the capital city of India's western state of Gujarat, killing all but one of the 242 people on board and 19 others on the ground.
Air India crash report shows both engines shut down shortly after takeoff
Air India crash report shows both engines shut down shortly after takeoff
Air India crash report shows both engines shut down shortly after takeoff
Air India crash report shows both engines shut down shortly after takeoff
China is willing to provide humanitarian assistance to Cambodia to help resettle displaced people in border areas, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday in Yuxi, southwest China's Yunnan Province.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with Prak Sokhonn, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Following the signing of a joint statement agreeing to a ceasefire, the Cambodian and Thai foreign ministers are leading delegations meeting in Yunnan from Dec. 28 to 29 at Wang's invitation.
China has been closely following the tense situation on the Cambodia-Thailand border and remains committed to facilitating peace through talks, Wang said, adding that China congratulates both sides on reaching a ceasefire agreement.
The ceasefire marks the beginning of peacebuilding, Wang said, calling on the two sides to proceed in a phased and measured approach to promote a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire, restore normal interactions, rebuild mutual trust, achieve turnaround in bilateral relations, and uphold peace and stability in the region.
He said that both countries can make good use of this face-to-face opportunity for diplomatic and military representatives to engage in dialogue and communication in a flexible manner, enhance mutual understanding, and build mutual trust. He also expressed hope that all sides would jointly send a message of peace from Yunnan, reach a consensus on peace, and demonstrate prospects for peace.
China supports ASEAN in playing its due role and stands ready to provide assistance to the ASEAN observation mission in monitoring the ceasefire, Wang said.
He added that China also hopes Cambodia will continue to enhance protection for Chinese citizens and projects in the country.
Cambodia highly values China's positive role in mediating the conflict, said Prak Sokhonn, citing the informal tea gathering among the foreign ministers of Cambodia, China and Thailand in Anning, Yunnan Province, as well as shuttle diplomacy conducted by China's special envoy.
Thanks to the joint efforts of China and other parties, Cambodia and Thailand were able to convene a meeting of the Joint Boundary Commission, and their militaries signed a ceasefire agreement, he said.
Sokhonn said Cambodia is ready to work with Thailand to fully implement the ceasefire agreement, make full use of existing dialogue mechanisms, and steadily build mutual trust between the two countries and their armed forces.
These steps, he noted, are vital to restoring bilateral exchanges, normalizing relations, and resolving the boundary issue at an early date.
Cambodia hopes for the early arrival of peace and expects the trilateral meeting to help rebuild lasting stability, he said.
The two sides also exchanged views on China-Cambodia relations, agreeing that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, positive progress has been made in building an all-weather Cambodia-China community with a shared future in the new era.
The Cambodian side expressed gratitude for China's support and assistance to its development, describing China as its most reliable and trusted partner. It reaffirmed its adherence to the one-China principle, its opposition to Taiwan secessionism, and its support for China's reunification cause.
China will deliver humanitarian aid to Cambodia for displaced people along border: Chinese FM