Air India crash investigation leaves key questions unanswered

The report also fails to attribute cockpit dialogue to either pilot, leaving it unclear who operated the fuel control switches. Analysts suggest that these were manually moved to CUTOFF seconds after liftoff, leading to engine thrust loss.

While acknowledging manual operation of switches, the report does not clarify whether human error, mechanical failure, or deliberate action was involved. Experts also raise concerns about whether FADEC could have mistakenly triggered an automatic fuel cutoff due to a benign performance drop.

Data indicates a relight sequence initiated by FADEC as part of programmed fail-safe measures when no catastrophic damage was detected. This suggests attempts by systems to recover and stabilize flight post-engine cutoff.

The timing of the report's release at 1 am local time has been noted as unusual by sources in India, where government departments typically close by 5 pm.

In conclusion, while providing some clarity on events' timeline and mechanical sequence, the preliminary report leaves many vital questions unanswered until a full report is available in approximately 11 months.