A preliminary report has been released regarding the Air India Flight AI171 crash that occurred in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released the 15-page document, which offers initial insights into the tragic event that killed at least 270 people.

Key Findings

The report confirms that both engines of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner failed shortly after takeoff. The twin-engine failure occurred at 1:38 PM IST, less than a minute after the aircraft became airborne from Runway 23. The aircraft, bound for London Gatwick with 230 passengers and 11 crew members, crashed just outside the airport perimeter. In addition to the fatalities on board, 19 people on the ground were also killed. Vishwas Kumar Prakash, seated on 11A, was the sole survivor.

The report indicates that the fuel cutoff switches for both engines transitioned from the "RUN" to "CUTOFF" position within one second of each other. This action cut off the fuel supply to the engines, causing them to lose thrust. The aircraft reached a maximum airspeed of 180 Knots Indicated Airspeed (IAS) just before the engine failures.

Pilots' Response and Confusion

The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) captured the pilots' confusion following the engine shutdowns. One pilot is heard asking, "Why did you cutoff?" to which the other responded, "I did not do so". This suggests a potential technical malfunction or an inadvertent activation of the fuel cutoff switches. The report mentions that the switches were moved back to the normal inflight position, which would have initiated the process of restarting the engines.

Emergency Measures

Following the engine failures, the Ram Air Turbine (RAT), a backup power device, automatically deployed, indicating a total loss of engine thrust. A Mayday call was issued seconds before the crash at 08:09:05 UTC. The aircraft crashed with an 8° nose-up attitude and level wings, but with both engines inactive.

Possible Causes and Investigation Focus

The investigation is focusing on the possibility of the fuel control switch movement as a potential cause for the dual engine failure. Investigators are exploring whether the actions of the pilots may have contributed to the crash. Preliminary findings suggest that there was no significant fault with the plane or its engines. The report has ruled out bad weather and bird strikes as contributing factors.

Next Steps

The AAIB has been able to extract "good data" from the black boxes. While the preliminary report does not assign blame, it provides critical early clues into the possible causes of the crash. The full investigation is ongoing.