Skip to content

Watch: Role of plane fuel switches explained

The preliminary report into the Air India crash in June has found that both fuel control switches, which are used to turn the engines off, were at one point moved to the cut-off position.

Audio from the cockpit detailed in the report suggests confusion between the two pilots: in a voice recording, one is heard asking his colleague why he "did the cut-off" - the other pilot replies he did not do so.

As experts continue to try and understand how the switches came to be moved, the BBC's International business correspondent Theo Leggett explains their role, and how shifting them is a two-stage process.

10 hours ago

Aviation accidents and incidents

Aviation safety

Air India flight AI171 plane crash

A lion stands in the middle of a street with several people nearby.

Watch: Moment pet lion pounces on woman in street

CCTV footage shows the moment a lion leaps over a concrete wall before attacking a woman.

Dalai Lama siting down holding his hand up, as Hollywood actor Richard Gear crouches down next to him smiling

Richard Gere joins Dalai Lama's 90th birthday celebrations

The Hollywood attended alongside thousands of Tibetan Buddhists in the Himalayan town of Dharamsala.

Splitscreen image of a man killing bugs with a racket and another of him bending down, covered in small bugs

Millions of 'lovebugs' swarm hikers in South Korea

A hiker who filmed the infestation told local media the bugs at Gyeyangsan mountain were like a "thick carpet".

A fire rips through a Seoul metro carriage.

Moment South Korean man sets Seoul metro carriage on fire

Authorities have released CCTV of an arson attack in Seoul on 31 May where six people suffered minor injuries.

Black bear runs through green grass

Watch: Bear blocks runway forcing flight cancellations at airport in Japan

The bear forced authorities at Yamagata Airport to temporarily shut its runways and cancel flights.

A little girl on the back of a rescue worker

Watch: Firefighters rescue girl trapped in drain for seven hours

Rescue workers found the girl unharmed in the drain, after flooding stuck the area.

The cabin of a red lorry, with the driver leaning out of the open door, hangs over the edge of a broken bridge with a deep chasm below

Watch: Lorry driver trapped in cabin after China bridge collapse

Local authorities said the driver was rescued with no injuries after heavy rainfall caused landslides in the region.

A vast orange plume erupts into the sky above several people standing in the foreground.

Watch Indonesian volcano spew ash over 11km into the sky

The twin-peaked Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano erupted on Tuesday creating a vast plume.

Motorcycles on fire in parking lot with black smoke billowing into sky

Watch: Large fire breaks out at motorcycle parking lot in China

Footage shows flames and thick smoke billowing into the sky, as bystanders watch the blaze erupt in southwest China.

Large elephant inside grocery store with his head hitting the ceiling

Watch: Hungry elephant wanders into Thai grocery store

The elephant helped himself to nine bags of sweet rice crackers, a sandwich and some bananas, shopkeepers say.

A girl grabs a toddler as a car smashes through a restaurant window

Watch: Moment girl rescues sister from runaway vehicle in China

An 11-year-old girl in Henan, China, pulled her baby sister from the path of a runaway electric mini cabin scooter.

On the left, Jean Mackenzie in a white blazer. On the right, a crowd of people in Seoul.

Watch: BBC on the ground in Seoul as new president is announced

Opposition's Lee Jae-myung will become South Korea's next president, winning the country's first election since impeachment chaos.

White text on a red background that says This video has been removed for editorial reasons.

This video has been removed for editorial reasons

This video has been removed for editorial reasons

A woman in a pink shirt and orange cardigan holds her hands out in a questioning pose.

To vote or not to vote? South Korea's 'dilemma' election

After months of political turmoil, we asked people in Seoul if they plan to vote in the upcoming election.

Thick black smoke billows from site of China chemical plant explosion

Huge explosion at China chemical plant kills at least five

Footage circulating online shows thick columns of black smoke rising from the site in Shandong province.

Two humanoid robots fighting in boxing ring

Humanoid robots fight in Chinese kick-boxing competition

The two humanoid robots traded punches while fans watched on, in a world-first humanoid robot fighting event.

Mount Kanlaon volcano erupting - Thermal Image

Watch: Thermal camera captures moment volcano erupts

The volcano on the Negros island spewed plumes of ash around 3km (1.8 miles) high into the air.

BBC correspondent Jonathan Head standing on street in Manila

Power, survival and revenge: What's at stake in the Philippines election?

The midterms will impact the future of President Marcos and his rival and VP, Sara Duterte.

Farhat Javed

Fear and uncertainty after strikes: BBC reports from Muzaffarabad

An Indian air strike damaged a mosque and some houses Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

BBC Urdu reporter standing outside a building which was targeted by Indian air strikes on Wednesday

Ground report from the site of air strikes in Pakistan's Muridke

The building, which is located in a densely-populated area, remains cordoned off by security forces.