Air India Flight AI 171 Crash: Findings of the Preliminary Report are Stunning

The recent fatal crash of Air India Flight AI 171 of June 12, 2025 which killed approximately 231 passengers and crew in the airspace near Ahmedabad has taken a new twist after the preliminary report on the air accident was published by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) of the United Kingdom. The initial report begs serious questions on the occurrence of some unknown engine-shutdown and problems in cockpit procedures.

Based on black box evidence, within mere minutes of the takeoff, at exactly 08:08 UTC (13:38 IST), both the engines of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner have experienced a sudden loss of power. The cause? The engine fuel control switches, both of which are usually in a locked position of “RUN” were shifted one after the other to a position of “CUTOFF” within one second. This unforeseen move shut down the supply of fuel to both engines destroying their potentialities with the aircraft still on its way upwards.

The crew also tried to ensure that the engine was functional by switching the switches back to make them run but, it was depicted that the engine could not be restarted because the plane had lost the most necessary altitude.

Pilot Communication: A Disturbing Exchange

The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) captured a chilling exchange:

Pilot 1: “Why did you cut off?”
Pilot 2: “I didn’t.”

The investigators are yet to determine the statement provided by which pilot. The switch-off was abrupt in nature and the confusion of the crew has still not left unanswered questions..

Investigators’ Key Findings

• The fuel controls are springloaded and sheathed so that any chance of its being moved inadvertently in the air is very slight.
• No mechanical failure, bird strike or any type of external sabotage had been noted.
• Conditions of engine and airframe were identified as mechanically sound during the time of occurrence.
• The Ram Air Turbine (RAT) was automatically released and the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) came on a few seconds following engine flame out.
• There was no Flight Engineer in the plane, the two pilots were carrying out all the functions in the cockpit.

The AAIB noted of a 2018 FAA advisory (SAIB NM-18-33) that cautioned of possible loss of fuel switch lock engagement. But it was just a recommendation and Air India did not carry out connected inspections on this plane.

Unanswered Questions

Despite providing technical clarity, the report leaves critical questions open:

Issue	Status
Who moved the switches?	Still undetermined — could be human error, intentional act, or technical fault.
Was it pilot action or mechanical fault?	The switches are hard to move unintentionally, suggesting possible manual input.
Was this a suicide or sabotage attempt?	No evidence supports this theory at present; cockpit association warns against speculation.

Reactions from Stakeholders

• The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) came out with a passionate request that any theory pertaining to the suicide or act of volition by the pilot is both insensitive and speculative and to stop rumor mongering until the full report is published.
• The report has been termed vague and incomplete by families of the victims who demanded accountability and more detailed answers.
• The experts in the field of aviation laws have theorized that the emergence of software faults, design faults, or the along the lines of maintenance failures could still be potential factors.

What’s Next?

This very initial report does not aim at blaming anyone, but laying down facts relying on some available data. In 6 weeks to 12 months the report will contain:

• Further research into cockpit behaviours and reaction of pilots.
• Review of switch design, maintenance records and aircraft software in detail.
• Potential suggested changes or revision to policies emphasizing safety.

A Wake-Up Call for Aviation Safety

Flight AI 171 is one of the worst aeronautical disasters in the Indian history of the last few decades. The weird and almost concurrent shutdown of the two engines adds that even normal flights are vulnerable to one abnormal occurrence.

With the whole aviation world looking at it, the task of the AAIB and the Indian DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) to establish the true and complete facts and help never to allow such an incident to ever happen again is almost impossible.