The preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the Air India Flight AI171 crash in Ahmedabad, which tragically killed 260 people, reveals alarming details. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating a scheduled international passenger flight from Ahmedabad Airport to London Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12, 2025.

Here are 10 key points from the AAIB preliminary report:

1. Fuel Cutoff: Just after takeoff, both engines of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner experienced a loss of fuel supply.
2. Failed Relight: Following the fuel cutoff, the pilots attempted to relight one of the engines, but the attempt was unsuccessful.
3. Pilot Confusion: The cockpit audio recordings reveal that the pilots were confused about the sudden fuel cutoff.
4. Initial Moments: Air India Flight 171 took off from runway 23 at Ahmedabad Airport at 13:38 IST (08:08 UTC). The aircraft used the entire 3.5-kilometer runway before becoming airborne, which is unusual for a Boeing 787.
5. Rapid Descent: A mere 30 seconds after liftoff, the aircraft began to descend at a rate of 475 feet per minute, after reaching an altitude of only 625 feet. The aircraft's ADS-B transponder reported a maximum pressure altitude of around 625 feet (191 m) above mean sea level while still over the runway before the signal was lost at 08:08:50 UTC.
6. Mayday Call: The flight crew issued a mayday call, reporting a loss of power and thrust. The last message from the pilot was a chilling "Mayday. Unable to lift".
7. Crash Site: The Dreamliner crashed into the hostel block of B. J. Medical College in the Meghani Nagar neighborhood of Ahmedabad. The crash resulted in multiple explosions followed by thick plumes of smoke.
8. Emergency Systems: Investigators believe the Flight 171's emergency power system had been active at the time of the crash, with the jet's backup ram air turbine (RAT) deployed to provide a limited amount of electrical power to the aircraft.
9. Focus on Fuel Control Switches: The ongoing investigation has narrowed its focus to the movement of the engine fuel control switches, following an analysis of the Boeing 787's integrated flight and voice data recorders.
10. TCMA Failure: A US-based aviation attorney suggested that a TCMA (Thrust Control Malfunction Accommodation) failure could be the cause behind the crash.

The crash of Air India Flight 171 was the first fatal accident and hull loss of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since its introduction in 2011. The accident claimed the lives of 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground. One passenger, Vishwas Kumar Prakash, miraculously survived the crash.