India’s Aviation Industry Needs Revamp

• The preliminary report from the Air India Boeing 787-8 crash in Ahmedabad, India, has highlighted the need for a revamp in crew resource management.

• The report reveals that fuel control switches of Engine 1 and 2 transitioned from ‘Run’ to ‘Cutoff’ position, one after another, with a time gap of one second.

• The incident occurred just after flight AI171 began to lift off from the runway, leading to engines decreasing from their take-off values due to fuel starvation.

• The issue of baffling by one crew member and denial by the other pilot over the cutoff has been exacerbated by the absence of a full and raw transcript of the cockpit voice recording.

• Despite the report’s findings, the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association maintains that pilots undergo extensive psychological and professional screening and operate under the highest standards of safety.

• The report suggests that Crew Resource Management and Line Oriented Flight Training may need to be revisited, especially with the unusual incident of dual engine failure.

• Greater vigilance in maintenance and operations, airport funnel zones, and obstacle limitations is also required for safer flights for air crew and passengers.