Comment by belter
3 days ago
The evidence points to inadvertent fuel cutoff switch movement rather than pilot error, or intentional pilot action. Most likely cause being locking mechanism failure combined with takeoff acceleration forces.
Investigation and preliminary report is not showing critical evidence that would help clarify. Like the full transcript of pilot conversations that is clearly already available, and if these switches had any maintenance in the last year.
The fact that both pilots denied moving the switches, combined with the extremely short timeline, makes mechanical/electronic failure the most probable cause.
Note the Critical Sequence:
08:08:39 UTC: Aircraft lifts off (air/ground sensors transition)
08:08:42 UTC: Maximum airspeed of 180 knots reached
08:08:42 UTC: IMMEDIATELY after max speed, both fuel cutoff switches transition from RUN to CUTOFF (1 second apart)
08:08:47 UTC: Both engines below minimum idle, RAT deploys
08:08:52 UTC: Engine 1 switch returns to RUN
08:08:56 UTC: Engine 2 switch returns to RUN
So only 3 seconds between liftoff and fuel cutoff. Extremely short window for deliberate pilot action...
That doesn't make sense. If a pilot wanted to deliberately cut off the engine there's no reason they couldn't do at that time. The time difference between the switches being one second shows it was more likely to be deliberate, not less. An accidental hit would result in both happening at the same time, not with a time delay.
The two switches changed in sequence, but within the same second and at max speed. Dont think a human can have such a timing. If you look at the timing it looks more and more like electronical or software triggers.
Another possibility is a foreign object like a personal item sliding back during acceleration.
I looked at both pilots background, and unless a story of medical depression on the part of the captain emerges, I dont see the pilot suicide as plausible.