A preliminary report regarding the Air India flight AI171 crash that occurred last month in Gujarat's Ahmedabad, killing 260 people, indicates a chip malfunction as a potential cause. A former pilot, in an interview with Reuters on Saturday, July 12, 2025, suggested that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) report points towards a technical issue rather than pilot error.
The report indicates that the engine fuel cutoff switches flipped almost simultaneously, starving the engines of fuel shortly after takeoff. According to the former pilot, the report suggests that a chip malfunction, such as a chip not working properly or losing contact, could be the reason behind the incident. He explained that the fuel control unit (FU) might not have received the command to stay in a run position, leading to a brief interruption in fuel supply.
The former pilot elaborated that the system might have stopped functioning due to excessive workload, comparing it to a laptop shutting down or experiencing a blue screen of death. He also raised concerns about whether Air India had carried out the necessary maintenance and replacement of certain chips in accordance with the Service Bulletin. He noted that the thermal cycle being in a warm condition could have caused the signal to not be contacted properly.
However, the preliminary report has faced backlash in India, with some arguing that it leans towards pilot error while seemingly dismissing mechanical or electrical failure possibilities. According to the preliminary report by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the two engine fuel control switches on the plane were moved from the "RUN" to "CUTOFF" position. These switches control fuel flow to the engines and should only be used when the aircraft is on ground, first to start the engines before a flight and later to shut them down at the gate. They are designed so they're unlikely to be changed accidentally, pointing to possible human error on the Air India flight. The findings include the final conversation between the pilots and show there was confusion in the cockpit as well. When one pilot asked the other why he cut off the fuel, he responded to say he did not do so.
Adding to the complexity, Captain Amit Singh from Safety Matters Foundation highlighted that a previous FAA bulletin warned about the potential for these switches to be installed with the locking feature disengaged. He also questioned why the plane's emergency locator transmitter (ELT) didn't send a signal after the crash. Aviation expert Terry Tozner noted that it's unclear whether the latch mechanisms on the fuel cut-off switches were functioning correctly on the aircraft.
The rear flight recorder, designed to withstand significant impact forces and temperatures, was damaged beyond recovery, raising concerns about its survivability.
The investigation is ongoing, and the final report is expected to take a year.
