The preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the Air India flight AI171 crash in Ahmedabad has revealed that the fuel supply to the aircraft's engines was cut off within a mere three seconds after takeoff. The incident, which occurred on June 12, 2025, involved a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to London Gatwick and resulted in the deaths of 260 people after the plane collided with a medical college hostel shortly after departure.
The AAIB's 15-page preliminary report, released a month after the crash, provides the first official account of the tragic event. The report highlights that the engine fuel control switches, which regulate the fuel supply to the engines, transitioned from the "RUN" position to the "CUTOFF" position almost simultaneously, with only a one-second gap between them. This action led to an immediate loss of thrust and triggered the deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT), an emergency backup power source. The aircraft then began to lose altitude rapidly, making it impossible to sustain powered flight.
According to the report, the plane lifted off at 13:08:39 IST. Shortly after, the engine fuel control switches were turned off and then reactivated within a one-second interval. At 13:09:05 IST, a pilot transmitted a distress call, declaring "Mayday, mayday, mayday". However, Air Traffic Control (ATC) received no further communication before the crash occurred.
The cockpit voice recordings captured a dramatic exchange between the pilots, with one pilot asking the other, "Why did you cut off?" The other pilot responded that he had not done so. The report does not specify which pilot made each statement. Despite their efforts to restore fuel flow by moving the switches back to the "RUN" position, the aircraft could not regain sufficient thrust and altitude to avoid the crash. Engine 1 briefly showed signs of recovery, but Engine 2 failed to regain thrust.
The AAIB's investigation involved documenting the wreckage using drones and relocating it to a secure area near the airport for detailed examination. Both engines were recovered and placed under quarantine in a hangar. Fuel samples taken from the aircraft's bowsers and tanks were tested at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) laboratory and found to be satisfactory.
The preliminary report also revealed that the co-pilot, Clive Kunder, was flying the aircraft, while the commander, Sumeet Sabharwal, was the 'pilot monitoring' for this flight. Both pilots had adequate rest periods and passed breathalyzer tests before the flight. The aircraft's maintenance checks were also up to date.
Interestingly, the AAIB report mentions that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) in 2018 regarding the "potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature". The report noted that Air India did not conduct an inspection in response to this advisory, as compliance was not mandatory.
The AAIB has not recommended any immediate action against the aircraft or engine manufacturers at this stage of the investigation. The investigation is ongoing, with experts from Boeing and participants from the United States and the United Kingdom joining the probe. The investigators have also not "speaker-stamped" the voice recording to identify who is speaking from the cockpit yet.
The crash has had significant repercussions for the Indian aviation industry, exacerbating existing challenges within the aviation insurance market and potentially leading to increased insurance premiums.
