Pilots recreate crashed Air India flight's final moments on simulator. Here's what we know so far

The pilots attempted to simulate electrical failures that could have caused a dual-engine flameout, resulting in the aircraft's inability to climb after takeoff.

However, they were unsuccessful, said reports.

Investigators, who have already downloaded data from the jetliner's black boxes (flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders), will also examine the position of the fuel switches on the 787 and corroborate this data with any wreckage of the fuel switches that may have been found.

This will be considered crucial in ascertaining whether the pilots accidentally switched off any of the engines during the takeoff run or shortly after the aircraft lifted off from Ahmedabad.

During the simulation scenarios, the pilots replicated the precise trim sheet data of AI-171. A trim sheet is a document used in aviation to calculate and record an aircraft's weight and balance, ensuring the center of gravity is within safe limits for takeoff, flight, and landing, media reports said.

The trainee pilots also simulated the failure of a single engine, left the undercarriage of the aircraft down, and retracted the flaps of the 787 completely.

This configuration, which is considered unsafe and improper for normal takeoffs, was meant to simulate an underpowered jetliner taking off with its bulky undercarriage deployed (down).

Meanwhile, an improper take-off flap configuration was also selected, making it even more challenging for the 787 to climb away on a single engine.

In all of the scenarios experimented with, AI-171, with a single operational engine, was able to gain altitude safely.

It is widely believed that a dual-engine failure may have resulted in the catastrophe.

Pilots on Air India's Boeing 787 fleet are not trained to deal with a dual-engine failure at an altitude of less than 400 feet, as in the case of AI-171.

This would be considered 'negative training', in other words, training for scenarios where the chances of successful recovery are technically not possible.

The preliminary probe report on the Air India crash is expected to be released by July 11, media reports said.

The document, which is likely to be four to five pages long, will be crucial as it will provide initial insights into the crash, including the possible causes.

NDTV, quoting sources, said the report will include details about the aircraft, which was a Boeing Dreamliner 787-8, the crew, conditions at the Ahmedabad airport, and the weather on June 12, when Air India flight 171 crashed, roughly 30 seconds after takeoff.

All 242 people on board but one were killed in the crash, besides those on the ground.