The investigation report says Air India did not carry out those inspections - prompting speculation that the accident could have been caused by faulty switches being flipped by accident. However, in an internal note seen by the BBC, the FAA has since reiterated its belief that the issue did not compromise safety.

An official report on the world’s deadliest aviation accident in a decade, seen by CNN, has answered one key question – but raised others.

A preliminary investigation into the tragic Air India Flight 171 crash has identified a critical in-flight error: the sudden cutoff of fuel to both engines just seconds after takeoff. The crash, which killed 260 people