Bloomberg Expert: India Air Authority Warns Against Speculation on Air India Crash

The article reports on the Indian air authority warning against speculation on the Air India crash. The new details emerging suggest that the plane was on fire before crashing. The article also mentions China's Belt and Road Initiative expanding and Trump's plan to open the US retirement market to crypto investments.

The Indian Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has called for restraint in speculating about the causes of the deadly Air India crash, which occurred last month. The preliminary report released by the AAIB identified the fuel control switches in the cockpit as the primary cause of the crash that killed 260 people. The investigation is ongoing, and the AAIB has emphasized that it is too early to draw definitive conclusions.

The preliminary report, released on Saturday, indicated that the fuel switches for the plane's engines had been flicked to the "cutoff" position seconds after the Boeing 787 Dreamliner lifted off the runway at Amenabad Airport. The plane then began to descend into a nearby residential neighborhood, with an attempt to restore fuel to the engines unsuccessful. The report also noted that the cockpit voice recorder captured a conversation between the two pilots, with one pilot asking the other why the fuel was cut off and the other denying involvement [1].

The AAIB has stressed that the investigation is not yet complete and that the final report, which will include the "root causes and recommendations," is still pending. The investigation has been complicated by the fact that the plane was on fire before crashing, which has raised questions about the role of the fuel control switches and the possibility of human error.

Meanwhile, the Indian aviation regulator has ordered all airlines in the country to inspect the fuel switches on their Boeing aircraft, following similar orders from aviation authorities in other countries. A separate internal investigation by Air India found no issues with the fuel control switches on its Boeing 787 fleet [1].

The crash has also had significant implications for the global aviation industry. The preliminary report noted that a 2018 US Federal Aviation Administration advisory warned of a potential flaw in the fuel-control switch system of some Boeing planes, including the Dreamliner. The report stated that Air India did not inspect the system and it was not mandatory for it to do so.

The AAIB's caution against speculation comes as new details emerge about the crash. The Wall Street Journal reported that the cockpit voice recording suggests that the captain may have moved the fuel control switches to "cutoff" after takeoff, an action that cut power to both engines. The switches were turned back on within seconds, but it is unclear what led to the initial cutoff [2].

The AAIB has also emphasized that the investigation is being conducted in conjunction with Boeing and experts from the US and UK. The crash is being investigated as the deadliest aviation incident in a decade.

The AAIB's caution against speculation is a reminder of the importance of allowing investigations to proceed without interference. The preliminary report has raised important questions about the role of the fuel control switches and the possibility of human error, but it is crucial that the investigation be allowed to run its course before any definitive conclusions are drawn.

References:
[1] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-18/air-india-crash-update/105545060
[2] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/17/what-happened-to-the-fuel-control-switches-on-doomed-air-india-flight-171