Ahmedabad Air India flight tragedy is not accident? What first report says?

Ahmedabad Air India Flight crash: The preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the crash of Air India Flight AI 171 on June 12, 2025, in Ahmedabad points to a critical and unexpected event. Ahmedabad Air India flight tragedy is not accident? What first report says?

The engine fuel control switches for both engines transitioned from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ position within a second of each other, moments after the aircraft lifted off.

Here’s a summary of the key findings from the preliminary report:

Sudden Fuel Cutoff: The most significant finding is that the fuel supply to both engines was abruptly cut off just three seconds after the Boeing 787 Dreamliner became airborne. This led to a rapid and catastrophic loss of thrust.

Pilot Confusion: The cockpit voice recording captures a chilling exchange, with one pilot asking the other, “Why did you cut off?” and the other responding, “I did not do so.” This indicates that neither pilot intentionally initiated the fuel cutoff.

Rapid Loss of Altitude: Following the fuel cutoff, the engine parameters (N1 and N2, indicating engine fan speeds) began to decrease from their takeoff values, effectively leaving the aircraft powerless in mid-air. The aircraft never gained sufficient altitude and began to lose it immediately.

Ram Air Turbine (RAT) Deployment: The Ram Air Turbine, an emergency power source, deployed almost immediately after lift-off, which is an indicator of a severe loss of engine power and electrical supply.

Mayday Call: A “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY” distress call was made by the pilots 26 seconds after lift-off, just moments before the crash.

Failed Relight Attempts: While there were attempts to move the fuel switches back to the ‘RUN’ position within 14 seconds, it was too late for the engines to recover sufficient thrust at such a low altitude. The aircraft crashed approximately 32 seconds after becoming airborne.

No Obvious Mechanical Fault (Yet): At this preliminary stage, the report has not identified any mechanical or design fault with the Boeing 787 or its GE engines that would warrant immediate safety advisories to other operators. Fuel samples from the aircraft and ground refuelling equipment were found to be satisfactory. Sabotage and bird strike have also been ruled out.

Prior FAA Advisory: The report notes a 2018 FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) concerning the potential for disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature on similar aircraft.

This SAIB, however, was advisory and not mandatory, and Air India had not performed related inspections on this particular aircraft (VT-ANB). The throttle control module housing these switches had been replaced twice before (in 2019 and 2023) but not due to fuel switch defects.

The investigation is ongoing, and authorities, including the AAIB, NTSB (USA), Boeing, and GE, are working to determine the precise cause of why the fuel control switches moved to the ‘CUTOFF’ position without apparent pilot input. The final report is expected to provide a comprehensive analysis of all contributing factors, including potential mechanical failure, human error, or design vulnerabilities.

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