The preliminary finding gives investigators a new line of inquiry as they study a crash that killed all but one of the plane’s passengers.

Air India faces fresh turbulence following last week’s fatal crash as additional safety inspections on its Dreamliner fleet lead to flight delays, cancellations and growing passenger anxiety.

The crash of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad city, killing all but one of the 242 people on board, is the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade.At least 30 people were also killed on the ground as the airliner crashed into a medical college hostel near the airport.