Air India Flight 171 Crash: A Terrifying incident.....

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Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to London Gatwick, tragically crashed on June 12, 2025, just 32 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad. The incident resulted in the deaths of 260 people, including 241 on board (all but one passenger) and 19 on the ground.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its preliminary report on July 12, 2025, revealing critical initial findings:

  • Sudden Fuel Cutoff: The most significant finding is that the engine fuel control switches for both engines transitioned from "RUN" to "CUTOFF" position, one second apart, just three seconds after the aircraft became airborne. This immediately cut off the fuel supply to both engines, causing a rapid loss of thrust.

  • Cockpit Exchange: The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) captured a chilling exchange where one pilot is heard asking the other, "Why did you cutoff?" and the other pilot responded, "I did not do so." This suggests confusion or a lack of direct acknowledgement regarding the action that led to the engine shutdown.

  • Pilot Attempts to Restore Power: The pilots attempted to restore fuel supply by moving the switches back to "RUN" within 10-14 seconds. While Engine 1 showed signs of recovery, the aircraft was at too low an altitude (around 625 feet above ground) for a successful restart, which typically requires more time and altitude.

  • Ram Air Turbine (RAT) Deployment: Airport CCTV footage confirmed that the Ram Air Turbine (RAT), an emergency backup power source, deployed immediately after the engines lost power, consistent with a dual engine failure.

  • Ruled Out Factors: The preliminary investigation has ruled out several potential causes, including adverse weather conditions, bird strike, improper aircraft configuration (flaps were correctly set, landing gear was retracting normally), and fuel quality issues.

  • Unanswered Questions: The preliminary report does not definitively state what caused the fuel control switches to move to "CUTOFF." Investigators are looking into whether it was human error (inadvertent or deliberate), mechanical failure, electrical malfunction, or a design vulnerability. An FAA bulletin from 2018 had warned about possible disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature on similar aircraft, but Air India had not performed these non-mandatory inspections.

  • Ongoing Investigation: The AAIB emphasized that the investigation is ongoing, with further detailed analysis of black box data, mechanical examination of components, and interviews with experts. A final report, which will determine the probable cause and recommend safety measures, is expected to take months or even years.

Air India has acknowledged the preliminary report and stated its full cooperation with the AAIB and other authorities. They have also provided interim compensation to affected families and deployed support teams. This incident is the first fatal crash of a Boeing 787 and the deadliest aviation accident in India since 1996.

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