Mais que s'est-il vraiment passé dans le cockpit de ce vol juste avant le crash ? Selon un rapport d'enquête préliminaire publié ce matin, les interrupteurs d'alimentation en carburant des moteurs d'un Boeing 787 de la compagnie indienne qui s'est écrasé peu après le décollage le 12 juin, tuant 260 personnes, étaient en position "arrêt" juste avant l'impact.
Le rapport, publié par le Bureau indien d'enquête sur les accidents aériens (AAIB), ne tire aucune conclusion et n'attribue aucune responsabilité, mais indique qu'un pilote a demandé à l'autre pourquoi il avait coupé le carburant, le second pilote répondant qu'il ne l'avait pas fait.
Au total 241 personnes qui se trouvaient à bord du Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner d'Air India ont été tuées, et une seule a survécu, lorsque l'avion s'est écrasé sur des habitations juste après le décollage dans la ville d'Ahmedabad, dans l'ouest du pays.
Les autorités ont également identifié 19 personnes tuées au sol.
Selon le rapport, le Boeing avait atteint une vitesse maximale de 180 noeuds (333 km/h) en décollant lorsque les interrupteurs d'alimentation en carburant sont passés de la position "run" (ouvert) à la position "cutoff" (arrêt) pour le premier moteur puis le second une seconde plus tard.
Les deux moteurs ont alors commencé à diminuer en puissance.
Dans l'enregistrement des conversations dans le cockpit, l'un des pilotes demande à l'autre pourquoi il a coupé l'alimentation en carburant.
Le second pilote répond qu'il ne l'a pas fait. Moins d'une minute plus tard, un pilote a transmis le signal de détresse "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday", et l'avion s'est écrasé sur des habitations.
00:00The preliminary Air India crash report says that seconds after flight 171 took off, the fuel cutoff switches for both engines went from run to cutoff. Within one second, the engines lost power. The report states in the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so. The switches were flipped back to run, but it was too late.
00:25The report says one of the pilots radioed a mayday as the plane soon crashed into a medical school dormitory.
00:32This report suggests that those switches were moved by a person. Whether it was inadvertent or deliberate, we don't know yet, but those switches were moved by a person.
00:42260 people on board and on the ground died. Newly released photographs show the plane's landing gear extended as photos from the ground confirm.
00:51And the fuel control switch is back in the run position. Sources with knowledge of the investigation tell NBC News the fuel switch comes with a safety guard.
01:01A pilot must pull up and twist it to turn it off. The plane's black boxes providing the first clues.
01:08There are two black boxes on board a plane. One of them is the cockpit voice recorder.
01:12With multiple microphones inside the cockpit, it records the conversations between the pilots and all of the alarms going off.
01:18The flight data recorder captures thousands of pieces of data about the plane's performance.
01:24Previously reported cameras in the cockpit might also provide critical evidence.
01:29John Ostrower is the editor-in-chief at TheAirCurrent.com.
01:33Why would that crew have turned off the fuel control switches? Is there any explanation for that?
01:39They haven't ruled out sabotage. That's on the table.
01:41But I would say that everything is on the table at this point relative to all the possibilities for understanding why these switches moved.
01:50And Tom joins us now live. Tom, let's be clear here.
01:53Is there any indication of a problem with the plane or its engines?
01:56Or is this all pointing to the actions of the pilots?
01:59At this point, it is all about the pilots.
02:02If investigators have found an obvious malfunction or defect with the 787 or the GE engines by now,
02:07they would have issued an urgent service alert. But so far, none.
02:11None issued by Boeing, the FAA, the NTSB, Boeing, GE engines, none.
02:15And the Indian Investigation Board says it does not recommend systemic actions linked to this crash.
02:21No global alert. Air India just out with a statement.
02:24Air India says that it stands in solidarity with the families and those affected by the accidents.
02:29And in fact, it acknowledges receipt of the report.
02:32We thank you for watching. And remember, stay updated on breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app
