Pakistan, July 12 -- A preliminary report into the tragic Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash on June 12 reveals critical confusion in the cockpit over the aircraft's engine fuel cutoff switches. Shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India, the plane lost thrust as both engines were starved of fuel, causing it to crash and kill 260 people - the deadliest aviation accident in a decade.

The investigation by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) found that the fuel cutoff switches, designed to stop fuel flow to the engines, were flipped from "run" to "cutoff" almost simultaneously. Closed-circuit TV footage showed the deployment of the ram air turbine, indicating the engines had lost power.

Cockpit voice recordings captur...