The tragic crash of Air India Flight 171 on June 12, 2025, in Ahmedabad, which claimed the lives of 260 people, has taken a perplexing turn with the release of a preliminary investigation report. The report reveals that the fuel supply to both engines of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was abruptly cut off just seconds after takeoff, a discovery that has deepened the mystery surrounding India’s deadliest air disaster in nearly three decades.
According to the 15-page preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the 12-year-old Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s fuel-control switches were moved to the “cut-off” position one after another, with a one-second gap, immediately after the aircraft reached an airspeed of 180 knots and lifted off. This action, typically performed only after landing, starved the engines of fuel and triggered a total power loss. The cockpit voice recording (CVR) captured a chilling exchange: one pilot is heard asking the other, “why did you cut off,” to which the other pilot responded that he “did not do so.” (BBC, CNN, New York Times).
Investigators noted that the switches were subsequently returned to their normal inflight position, initiating an automatic engine relight sequence. However, at the time of impact, one engine was regaining thrust while the other had relit but had not yet recovered full power. The aircraft, which had climbed to 625 feet, was airborne for less than 40 seconds before crashing into the BJ Medical College and Hospital hostel in Ahmedabad, killing 241 people on board (including 12 crew members) and 19 on the ground. Only one passenger, a British national, survived the crash. (BBC, CNN, The Guardian).
The central question now revolves around how and why the fuel switches were cut off. Aviation experts emphasize that the lever-lock fuel switches are designed with robust safety features, including a locking mechanism, to prevent accidental activation. John Cox, a US aviation safety expert, stated, “You can’t bump them and they move.” Shawn Pruchnicki, a former airline accident investigator, echoed this, noting that such an error typically doesn’t occur “without some evident issue.” (BBC, The Guardian).
Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a leading Indian aviation expert, has strongly suggested that the crash may have stemmed from deliberate human action, raising the possibility of a pilot-induced crash, or even suicide. He highlighted that the pilot flying (PF), in this case, the co-pilot Clive Kunder (32, with over 3,400 flying hours), would have both hands on the control column during takeoff. The pilot monitoring (PM), Captain Sumeet Sabharwal (56, with over 15,000 flying hours), would have free hands, making him the likely individual to have manipulated the switches. Ranganathan also raised concerns about unconfirmed reports of the captain having a medical history and extended medical leave, urging a deeper investigation into the crew’s psychological and behavioral health. (NDTV).
Other theories being considered, though with less emphasis, include a potential issue with the fuel control switches themselves. The report mentions a December 2018 US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) highlighting that some Boeing 737 fuel control switches (of similar design to the 787-8) were installed with the locking feature disengaged. As SAIBs are advisory, Air India did not perform the recommended inspections. However, former NTSB managing director Peter Goelz views this as a potential “distraction.” Another possibility raised by Capt. Kishore Chinta, a former Indian AAIB investigator, is whether the fuel cut-off switches could have been triggered electronically by the plane’s electronic control unit without pilot movement. (BBC).
Further findings from the preliminary report include the deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT), a small propeller that extends as an emergency backup generator when both engines lose power, strongly supporting the conclusion of dual engine failure. The landing gear was also found in the “down position,” indicating it was not retracted. Fuel samples from the refuelling tanks were found to be satisfactory, and no significant bird activity was observed. (BBC, CNN).
The investigation is a collaborative effort involving Indian authorities, experts from Boeing, General Electric, Air India, Indian regulators, and participants from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and UK AAIB. India’s Civil Aviation Minister, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, has urged the public not to jump to conclusions, emphasizing that the report is preliminary. Air India has acknowledged the report and pledged full cooperation with the ongoing probe. The preliminary report does not recommend immediate actions against Boeing or GE. The cockpit voice recorder, with its audio from pilot microphones, radio calls, and ambient cockpit sounds, is considered crucial to unraveling this baffling disaster, underscoring the NTSB’s recommendation for cockpit video recorders to provide an over-the-shoulder view of pilot actions. (BBC, CNN, NDTV).
