THE DUAL ENGINE SHUTDOWN

Moments after takeoff, both engines on the flight lost power when their fuel cutoff switches were moved from RUN to CUTOFF within just one second.

That sequence, laid out in a preliminary report, sits at the center of the investigation: how did both engine fuel cutoff switches get flipped so quickly, and was it deliberate or mechanical?

The cockpit voice recorder caught the first flash of alarm in the cockpit. One pilot asked, "Did you cut it off?"

The other answered immediately: "No."

That exchange came right after the engines quit. According to the report, the switches had been moved almost simultaneously, an action investigators say is highly unusual.

Fuel cutoff switches are not something that shift on their own in normal operation. On this flight, both were moved from RUN to CUTOFF within a single second, and both engines lost power as a result.

The timing is what makes the episode so stark. The aircraft had barely gotten airborne when the shutdown happened. Instead of climbing on full thrust, it was suddenly dealing with dual engine failure just after departure.

The recorded conversation shows the crew trying to understand what had just happened. One pilot's question, "Did you cut it off?", suggests an immediate search for a cause inside the cockpit. The reply, "No.", left the question hanging.

The preliminary report does not settle how the switches were moved, only that they were. That detail has become a key focus of the investigation because of how rapid and simultaneous the action was.

Investigators are now examining whether the cutoff came from a deliberate act or from some kind of mechanical issue. For now, the record is clear on the basic sequence: takeoff, sudden switch movement, and the loss of both engines in the opening seconds of flight.

The cockpit voice recorder preserves the moment the crew realized something had gone badly wrong. One pilot asked the other if the fuel had been cut. The answer was no. The switches, however, had already been moved.