Air India Flight AI 171: Fuel Supply Abruptly Cut Moments After Takeoff — Preliminary Investigation

Air India Flight AI 171: Fuel Supply Abruptly Cut Moments After Takeoff — Preliminary Investigation

Ahmedabad, India – July 12, 2025 — India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released its preliminary report on the June 12 crash of Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick. The tragic event resulted in 241 fatalities onboard, 19 casualties on the ground, and only one survivor. Here's a breakdown of the critical findings:

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🔍 What Happened

• Fuel Cutoff Switches Flipped

Three seconds after liftoff, at about 180 knots, the fuel-control switches on both engines were abruptly cut off when they were moved from "RUN" to "CUTOFF," one second apart. Following an instantaneous loss of thrust, the emergency Ram Air Turbine (RAT) was activated ([Wikipedia][1]).

Fuel Cutoff Switches Flipped

• Cockpit Confusion Captured
  One pilot is heard on a cockpit voice recorder (CVR) saying, *"Why did you shut off?, and the second responding, “I didn’t.” Neither pilot claimed responsibility (The Sun).

Cockpit Confusion Captured

• Restart Attempt Failed
  About 10 seconds later, the switches were moved back to “RUN”. Engine 1 began relight, but Engine 2 failed to restart fully. The aircraft, without sufficient altitude or power, crashed into a medical college building (The Wall Street Journal).

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🛠 Why It Matters

1. Protected Switches
   These cutoff switches are heavily guarded and require deliberate action—pulling the switch up to unlock before flipping—which makes accidental activation extremely unlikely (The Wall Street Journal).

2. Regulatory Oversight Gaps
   A 2018 FAA advisory flagged similar switches with potentially disengaged locks on Boeing 737 aircraft—but no mandatory directive was issued. The Dreamliner in question had no documented inspection following that bulletin (The Sun). Notably, its throttle control module had been replaced in 2019 and 2023—though not linked to the switches.

3. Pilot Expertise Doesn’t Cut It
   The flight crew had over 14,000 combined hours — including thousands on the 787. There was no indication of mechanical or environmental issues like bird strikes or engine fire (Wikipedia, The Sun).

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⚠️ Ongoing Investigation

• No Final Conclusions
  The AAIB has shared facts only—there’s no determination yet on whether the switch actions were deliberate, inadvertent, or due to mechanical failure (The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal).

• Global Collaboration Underway
  Indian authorities are working with Boeing, GE Aerospace, the U.S. NTSB, and the FAA. The investigation is expected to continue for up to a year before producing a final report (The Independent, The Washington Post).

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💡 What This Means for Aviation

• Design Review Needed
  The incident raises urgent questions about cockpit switch safety—especially the locking mechanisms intended to prevent accidental movement.

• Training Protocols Must Evolve
  With such critical switches prone to intentional or unintentional activation, airlines may need to refresh crew procedures and simulation drills.

• Regulatory Push Anticipated
  FAA and international regulators may act on vulnerabilities exposed by the 2018 advisory, potentially issuing binding directives or retrofit requirements.

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✅ Summary Table

Key Element	Details
When	June 12, ~08:08 UTC
Where	Ahmedabad Airport, shortly after takeoff
Aircraft	Boeing 787‑8 VT‑ANB
Who	230 passengers, 12 crew
What	Fuel switches moved to “CUTOFF”, causing engine flame-outs
Why (current assessment)	Unknown – deliberate? accidental? mechanical?
Investigation Status	Ongoing — final report expected within a year

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Final Thoughts for Daily Alert Online Readers

This jaw‑dropping preliminary report reveals the near-immediate shutdown of both engines due to fuel-switch activation in mid-air — a scenario aviation experts characterize as “absolutely bizarre” (The Wall Street Journal, Wikipedia, The Independent, The Independent, People.com, Reuters). With no catastrophic mechanical failure cited, the aviation community awaits judicial clarity on whether human error, malfunction, or something else lies at the heart of this disaster.

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Daily Alert Online will continue monitoring developments and share updates as the AAIB uncovers further evidence. Stay tuned for the final report—and what it reveals about cockpit design, pilot training, and engine safety protocols.

• The Sun
• The Wall Street Journal
• The Washington Post