Air India Flight AI 171 Crash: Fuel Cutoff During Takeoff? Shocking Details Emerge in India’s Worst Air Disaster in Decades
Preliminary AAIB report on Air India Flight AI 171 crash suggests both engines lost power due to possible fuel cutoff during takeoff, raising concerns of pilot error in India’s deadliest air disaster in 40 years.
Air India Flight AI 171 Crash: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) preliminary findings on the tragic crash of Air India flight AI 171 suggest that human error—specifically, the pilots’ actions—may have led to the dual engine shutdown shortly after take-off on June 12, resulting in 260 fatalities.
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Air India Flight AI 171 Crash: AAIB Report Hints at Pilot-Induced Shutdown
According to the AAIB report, the Boeing 787-8 aircraft’s fuel control switches shifted from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ just moments after lift-off, leading to a sudden and catastrophic loss of thrust in both engines during a critical phase of flight.
Investigators emphasize that such a switch transition is nearly impossible to occur accidentally due to the presence of mechanical safeguards like stop-lock mechanisms and bracketed levers.
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Rare Dual Engine Failure Confirmed
The aircraft began losing altitude almost immediately after take-off and crashed before it could cross the airport’s perimeter wall. Experts cite the following three indicators of double engine failure:
- Rapid loss of altitude after take-off, not consistent with a single-engine failure.
- Deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT)—an emergency device that activates only when both engines fail.
- Absence of aircraft yaw or roll, which would typically occur in case of a single engine failure.
Fuel Contamination and Bird Strike Ruled Out
Initial speculation surrounding fuel contamination was dismissed after clean samples were recovered from bowsers and fuel tanks. Similarly, the bird strike theory was considered improbable due to no reported bird activity in the vicinity during the flight.
Voice Recorder Hints at Possible Cockpit Confusion
The AAIB report refers to a segment from the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), where one pilot is heard asking the other, “Why did you cutoff?”—to which the response is, “I did not do so.” This exchange suggests uncertainty and confusion in the cockpit during the critical moments.
However, the complete CVR transcript remains unreleased, and experts believe it could hold vital context for the final report.
How Could the Fuel Switches Be Turned Off?
In standard procedure, fuel control switches are only set to ‘CUTOFF’ on the ground or at high altitude in extreme emergencies like engine fires—not during take-off. Moreover, moving both switches simultaneously would require a deliberate and complex action using both hands or coordinated efforts, which rules out accidental movement.
Despite this, both switches were found in the ‘RUN’ position in the wreckage, suggesting that the pilots attempted to restart the engines—a move confirmed by AAIB but considered ineffective due to the low altitude.
Experienced Pilots, No Signs of Impairment
Both pilots had more than 9,500 hours of experience on the Boeing 787-8. They passed routine medical and breathalyzer tests the morning of the flight and were deemed fit to operate the aircraft.
Still, the central mystery remains: why would trained and experienced pilots shut off fuel to both engines seconds after lift-off?
Global Experts Concerned
Aviation experts and investigators worldwide have reacted with concern. Peter Goelz, former managing director of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), called the finding “deeply disturbing” and stated that “there’s likely much more on the cockpit voice recorder than what’s been shared.”
Goelz and others urge a full release of the CVR transcript for a clearer understanding of cockpit dynamics at the time.
Boeing Safety Feature Previously Flagged
The AAIB noted that in 2018, the US Federal Aviation Authority flagged a potential vulnerability in fuel control switch locking features on Boeing aircraft. However, the feature was not deemed an unsafe condition, and the throttle control module was replaced twice—once in 2019 and again in 2023.
Final Conclusions Awaited
Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol stressed that the current report is preliminary, and the investigation is still underway. Final conclusions will only be drawn after evaluating all evidence, including flight data recorders, CVR transcripts, and maintenance logs.
India’s Worst Aviation Disaster in 40 Years
The crash of AI 171, which claimed 260 lives (241 on board, 19 on the ground), is being described as India’s deadliest aviation tragedy in over four decades. The preliminary report has answered the “what” and “how”, but the “why” remains unanswered—and the final report is awaited with intense scrutiny.
