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A preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on the tragic crash of Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner (VT-ANB) sheds light on a sequence of events that unfolded within seconds. Shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on 12 June, both engines lost power following an unexpected switch from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ on the fuel control system, rendering the aircraft powerless. Investigators have released second-by-second details of the incident, including cockpit voice recordings and data from the flight recorders. A brief attempt was made mid-air to restart the engines, but the aircraft failed to regain thrust, ultimately crashing and resulting in the deaths of 260 people. Here is the full timeline, as reported by Reuters:
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05:47 GMT (11:17 AM IST)- The Boeing 787 Dreamliner arrived in Ahmedabad from Delhi, after completing flight A1423. (Photo source: Canva)
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07:48:38 GMT-Aircraft leaves from Bay 34 and starts preparing for its next flight to London Gatwick. (Photo source: IE)
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07:55:15 GMT: The aircraft is given taxi clearance, and it moves ahead to Runway 23 through Taxiway R4. (Photo source: PTI)
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8:02:03 GMT: Control of the aircraft is allotted to the tower operations from the ground. (Photo source: Canva)
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8:07:33 GMT: The aircraft is permitted by air traffic control and has been permitted for takeoff. (Photo source: Canva)
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8:07:37 GMT: The aircraft starts to take off from the runway.(Photo source: Canva)
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8:08:39 GMT: The aircraft lifts off as the sensors confirm it, and the aircraft moves into air mode. (Photo source: PTI)
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8:08:42 GMT: Both the engines of the aircraft switch to ’’CUTOFF’ within a second at 180 knots airspeed. The Engines start to lose thrust as the fuel supply is cut, RAT gets installed automatically. The cockpit voice recorder captures one pilot asking, “Why did you cut off?” The other pilot responded, “I didn’t do so.” The Engines start to lose thrust as the fuel supply is cut,. (Photo source: PTI)
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8:08:47 GMT- Engine speeds lower down below idle. The Ram Air Turbine (RAT) gets installed automatically to provide emergency hydraulic power. (Photo source: PTI)
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08:08:52 GMT: The crew changes Engine 1’s fuel switch back to ‘’RUN’’ in an attempt to restart it. (Photo source: Reuters)
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08:08:56 GMT: Engine 2’s fuel switch is also pulled to ‘’RUN’’. Engine 1 indicates signs of recovery, but Engine 2 struggles to regain thrust. (Photo source: Reuters)
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08:09:05 GMT: A message of “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY” is sent from the cockpit. (Photo source: PTI)
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08:09:11 GMT: Flight date recordings end over here. Soon, crash fire tenders are sent to the incident site. (Photo source: Reuters)
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