On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171—a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner—crashed near Ahmedabad seconds after takeoff. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has now revealed that both engines were starved of fuel just after liftoff, igniting a deadly chain of events.
What the Preliminary Report Reveals
- Fuel-switch flip: Just three seconds after takeoff, the fuel control switches for both engines were moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” within approximately one second—cutting fuel flow and causing a rapid dual-engine failure New York Post+15The Guardian+15The Times of India+15The Times of India+15Gulf News+15India Today+15.
- Cockpit confusion: The cockpit voice recorder recorded a tense exchange: “Why did you cut off the fuel?”
“I didn’t do so.” The Scottish Sun+12www.ndtv.com+12India Today+12DW+5mint+5India Today+5 - Recovery attempt: Both switches were returned to RUN about 10 seconds later. Engine 1 regained some power; Engine 2 failed to recover fully. Around 29–32 seconds after takeoff, the aircraft crashed The Week+2Gulf News+2Gulf News+2.
Why the Switches Don’t Flip by Accident
The switch design includes locking mechanisms and guard rails requiring pilots to pull and deliberately move them—making accidental activation extremely unlikely Gulf News+15India Today+15ThePrint+15.
FAA bulletins dating to 2018 highlighted optional inspections for these locks, which Air India did not follow—though inspectors note that no defects had been reported on this aircraft since 2023 Reuters+8Financial Times+8mint+8.
Reaction from Regulators and Industry
- FAA & Boeing: After reviewing the switch design, both concluded it does not present a safety hazard and said no airworthiness directive is needed mint+2Financial Times+2Reuters+2.
- Global inspections begin: Major airlines have since begun voluntary checks on Boeing 787 fuel-switch locking mechanisms India Today+15Reuters+15The Economic Times+15.
Unanswered Questions & Investigative Paths
Investigators are now focused on three key theories:
- Human action – Deliberate or inadvertent activation by cockpit crew.
- Mechanical/software failure – A malfunction that allowed uncommanded switch movement.
- Third-party interference – Though no evidence currently supports this Gulf News+10Gulf News+10www.ndtv.com+10.
The AAIB report confirms the crash was not due to bird-strike, fuel contamination, or flap misconfiguration, and no emergency existing at the time necessitated shutting down the engines Wikipedia+9Gulf News+9https://www.oneindia.com/+9.
The Human Toll and Call for Transparency
- Victims’ families—both in India and abroad—have described the report as vague and are demanding a transparent, full investigation The Scottish Sun+3The Guardian+3The Times+3.
- Pilots’ union ALPA India is calling for observer status and warns against rushing to blame the crew
