📍 1. Incident Overview
- Date: June 12, 2025
- Flight: Air India AI‑171 from Ahmedabad to London
- Aircraft: Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner (VT‑ANB)
- Casualties: 254 people onboard (242 passengers + 12 crew), 260 deaths (including 6 on ground), only 1 survivor
This has become one of the worst aviation disasters in India’s history.
📑 2. Key Findings from the Preliminary Report
- Just 30 seconds after takeoff, both engines shut down mid-air.
- The engines’ fuel cutoff switches had moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF”, disabling fuel supply.
- Cockpit voice recorder revealed shocking dialogue: Pilot 1: “Why did you shut the fuel?”
Pilot 2: “I didn’t.” - The RAT (Ram Air Turbine) was deployed—this emergency system provides limited electrical power when both engines fail.
- Pilots tried to reset the switches back to “RUN,” but there wasn’t enough time or altitude to recover, and the plane crashed into the Sabarmati River delta.
🕵️ 3. What’s Under Investigation?
- How did both fuel switches flip to CUTOFF just seconds into the flight?
- Possibilities: Pilot error, mechanical failure, or an unknown system malfunction.
- Investigators are exploring whether the switches were triggered accidentally or there was a latent flaw in the design.
- The FAA had issued advisories about similar fuel switch vulnerabilities on Boeing 787s in 2018, but the report notes Air India may not have implemented those safety checks.
🧠 4. Expert Reactions
- AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau) released a 15-page preliminary report in early July 2025.
- Experts and pilot unions raised concerns that the report appears to subtly blame pilots, though the evidence is still inconclusive.
- International safety bodies like FAA (USA), NTSB, and EASA (Europe) are also participating in the investigation.
- Aviation specialists say: “This report raises more questions than answers. Fuel switches do not flip on their own.”
⏭️ 5. What Happens Next?
- A final, detailed report is expected within 12 months.
- Until then, conclusions remain speculative and incomplete.
- The DGCA (India’s aviation regulator) has ordered immediate inspection of all Boeing 787 aircraft in Indian fleets.
⚠️ 6. Key Concerns Raised
- Was there a design flaw in the fuel cutoff switch mechanism?
- Did Air India miss any FAA-mandated checks between 2018–2024?
- Were cockpit procedures or crew actions to blame—or was there an external or technical trigger?
📌 Crash Timeline Summary
| Time After Takeoff | Event |
|---|---|
| 0–30 seconds | Both engines shut down due to fuel cutoff |
| ~1 min | Pilots attempt to restart engines |
| ~2 mins | Aircraft crashes near Sabarmati delta |
| Mayday issued | Yes |
| RAT deployed | Yes |
🔍 Final Thoughts
This crash has shocked the nation and the global aviation industry.
The fact that both engines stopped almost simultaneously—without any sign of bird hit, sabotage, or external fire—points toward a potential systemic error, either in procedure or aircraft design.
Until the final report, investigators and regulatory bodies are treating this as a high-priority, sensitive case involving possible equipment design flaws, regulatory oversights, and human factor complexities.