A preliminary report regarding the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, which resulted in 260 fatalities last month, has revealed a critical detail: the plane's engine fuel cutoff switches shifted from the "run" position to "cutoff" within a second of each other. This abrupt movement starved the engines of fuel, causing the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to immediately lose thrust and begin to sink. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is currently leading the investigation into the incident.

The preliminary report, released on Saturday, July 12, 2025, indicates that the fuel cutoff switches transitioned rapidly, leading to the engine shutdown. The report mentions that the plane reached 180 knots indicated airspeed (IAS), and "immediately thereafter, the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 1 second".

Adding to the mystery, the cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot asking the other why he cut off the fuel, to which the other pilot responded that he did not. The report does not specify which pilot made which remark, nor does it identify who transmitted the "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" call just before the crash. The report also does not explain how the fuel switch could have flipped to the cutoff position.

The incident marks the first-ever hull loss for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The Air India flight, en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12, 2025, impacting a medical hostel complex near the airport. Of the 241 people on board, only one survived. Tragically, 19 people on the ground also lost their lives.

Following the release of the preliminary report, the AAIB stated that "At this stage of investigation, there are no recommended actions to Boeing 787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers". The agency is collaborating with aircraft and engine manufacturers to examine the technical, operational, and human factors contributing to the crash. A final report will be issued following further analysis of flight data and cockpit voice recordings.

The engine and flight data recorder (EAFR), also known as the "black box," was substantially damaged. The AAIB is working to extract all possible information from it. US aviation safety expert John Cox commented that a pilot would not be able to accidentally move the fuel switches, stating, "You can't bump them and they move". He noted that flipping the switch to cutoff almost immediately shuts down the engines and is typically used after landing or in specific emergencies.