Pilot error unlikely, says retired air commodore

Reacting to findings of preliminary investigation into the AI crash, Prakash Patel says switching off the fuel supply requires deliberate three-step action which no pilot would do at takeoff

- Ajay.Umat

What is being described as the world's deadliest aviation accident in a decade, the crash of Air India Flight 171 shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12 has thrown up troubling questions about aircraft automation, pilot procedure and system reliability.

A preliminary report indicates that both engine fuel switches flipped to the "cut-off" position just seconds after lift-off, starving the engines of fuel and leading to a catastrophic loss of thrust.