By Alison Lumpert and David Shepherdson
(Reuters) -A truncated report on Air India’s deadly disaster in June is expected to be published by Friday, three sources with knowledge on the matter, adding that the probe has narrowed its focus on the movement of fuel control switches on the aircraft.
The London-Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which began to lose height after reaching an altitude of 650 feet, crashed moments after take-off from Ahmedabad, India, killing 241 of 242 people on board and the rest on the ground.
The Air India crash investigation focuses on the movement of engine fuel management switches after flight and 787 flight data analysis, along with a boeing simulation of the last moments of the aircraft, the sources said.
The investigation did not cause immediate concerns about mechanical damage, the source said, and there was no airline newsletter that recommended changes to 787 operations.
Boeing declined to comment.
Aviation industry publication air current first reported the focus on fuel switches that help to power the two aircraft engines.
It was unclear what specific actions involving fuel switches were considered by investigators.
Sources said the air current that the available information about the black boxes could not control or come out of incorrect, inattentive or deliberate actions, preceding or observing the apparent thrust loss before the aircraft collapsed.
US Aviation Safety Expert John Cox said the pilot would not be able to accidentally move the fuel switches that power the engines. “You can’t hit them and they move,” he said.
Cox added that if the switch is switched off, the effect will be almost immediate, cutting off the engine power.
Most air crashes are caused by many factors. The investigation focuses at least in part on the engine thrust, Reuters reported last month.
While the report of Indian investigators could be public on Friday, the three sources warned of Reuters that plans could change and it was not clear how much information would be available in the document that comes about 30 days after the tragedy on June 12.
The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
The Indian Accident Investigation Bureau, which led the survey under international rules, did not immediately respond to a request for comment beyond normal working hours.
Release
The probe is subjected to questions about the lack of information after investigators took about two weeks to download the flight recorder after the crash. The Indian government held only one press conference on the incident and no questions were taken.
However, India has canceled the course on a more early decision reported by Reuters to prevent the UN aviation investigator to join the probe, two senior sources said.
A specialist from the International UN Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) received the status of an observer after an unusual request from the Agency to offer its support.
ICAO declined to comment, adding in a statement that any public discussion of “joint arrangements” will require permission from the state.
The crash challenges Tata Group’s ambitious campaign to restore Air India’s reputation and renew its fleet after taking over the government from the government in 2022.
India is engaged in a boom in aviation to support wider development targets, with New Delhi saying that it wants India to be a working day Global Aviation Center on the Dubai lines, which is currently dealing with much of the country’s international traffic.
A panel of Indian legislators will review safety in the country’s civil aviation sector and invite several industrial and civil servants to answer questions on Wednesday, with topics involving the recent plane crash.
(ALISON LAMPERT report in Montreal and David Shepardon in Washington; Additional Reporting from Dan Catchpole in Seattle and Kanjyik Ghosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Jamie Fried)