Key Points
- Tragic Crash: Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed just 32 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, killing 260 people, including passengers, crew, and people on the ground.
- Fuel Cutoff Mystery: Both engine fuel control switches moved from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ position seconds after takeoff, causing both engines to lose power.
- Cockpit Confusion: Cockpit recordings reveal confusion between pilots over who cut the fuel supply; neither admitted to doing so.
- Mayday Call and Crash: Despite efforts to restart the engines and a mayday call, the aircraft crashed into a residential building on the BJ Medical College campus.
- Ongoing Investigation: The cause of the simultaneous fuel cutoff remains under investigation, with mechanical failure, human error, and deliberate action all being examined.
New Delhi: On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, departed Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport bound for London Gatwick. Onboard were 242 people, including passengers and crew, with many looking forward to a routine international journey. Within 32 seconds of takeoff, tragedy struck: the aircraft lost power, failed to gain altitude, and crashed into the hostel block of BJ Medical College, resulting in a fiery explosion that claimed 260 lives 241 onboard and 19 on the ground.
The Crash: Sequence of Events
- Takeoff: The Dreamliner took off at 13:38 IST, with weather conditions described as clear and winds light.
- Sudden Power Loss: Seconds after takeoff, both engine fuel control switches transitioned from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’, cutting off fuel supply and causing both engines to fail.
- Cockpit Confusion: Cockpit voice recordings captured one pilot asking, “Why did you cut off?” The other replied, “I did not do so.”
- Emergency Response: The pilots attempted to restart the engines, successfully relighting one, but the aircraft was too low to recover. A mayday call was issued moments before impact.
- Impact: The plane crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel, causing multiple explosions and a devastating fire.
Investigation Findings: What the Preliminary Report Reveals
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released a 15-page preliminary report with these key findings:
- Fuel Switches: Both engine fuel cutoff switches were manually moved to ‘CUTOFF’ within one second of each other, causing both engines to lose power. The switches require deliberate action to move, making accidental activation unlikely.
- No Mechanical or Environmental Faults: The aircraft was within weight limits, flaps were set correctly, fuel quality was satisfactory, and there was no evidence of bird strike or adverse weather.
- Engine Restart Attempt: After the fuel switches were returned to ‘RUN’, one engine restarted, but the aircraft was already too low to recover thrust before impact.
- Cockpit Recordings: The voice recorder captured confusion and denial between pilots regarding the fuel cutoff action.
- Casualties: All but one of the 242 people on board perished, along with 19 people on the ground; a British passenger seated near an emergency exit survived with minor injuries.
Unanswered Questions and Ongoing Investigation
- Deliberate or Accidental?: Experts highlight that the fuel switches are protected and require intentional effort to move, raising questions about possible deliberate action or a rare mechanical anomaly.
- No Immediate Blame: The preliminary report does not attribute blame to Boeing or the engine manufacturer, and Air India has pledged full cooperation with investigators.
- Further Analysis Needed: The black box data is still under review, and authorities are examining all possible scenarios, including human error, mechanical failure, or intentional act.
The Aftermath
This crash marks the deadliest aviation disaster in India in a decade and the first fatal accident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since its introduction. The tragedy has triggered a comprehensive review of Air India’s Dreamliner fleet and intensified scrutiny of cockpit procedures and safety protocols.
Air India and Indian authorities continue to support the families of victims and are committed to uncovering the full truth behind the catastrophic loss of Flight 171.
The Ahmedabad Air India crash is a somber reminder of the complexities and risks inherent in aviation. While the preliminary report sheds light on the sequence of events, the central mystery why both fuel switches were cut off remains unsolved. The world watches as investigators work to provide answers and ensure such a tragedy is never repeated.
