A preliminary investigation into the catastrophic crash of Air India Flight AI171 has revealed more information regarding what caused last month's devastating crash, which ultimately led to the deaths of 260 people.
The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a densely populated residential area of Ahmedabad, western India, on 12 June, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground.
The only survivor was 40-year-old British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh, who was seated in 11A.
“I still cannot believe how I made it out alive,” Ramesh told investigators.
Flight Data Suggests Critical Switch Error
According to the Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) 15-page preliminary report, both of the aircraft’s engine fuel cutoff switches — critical controls used to start or stop fuel flow — were manually flipped from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” shortly after the plane reached an airspeed of 180 knots.
Per BBC News, the two switches were toggled just one second apart.
The report states: "The aircraft achieved the maximum recorded airspeed of 180 Knots IAS at about 08:08:42 UTC and immediately thereafter, the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 sec."
This action instantly cut the engines' fuel supply, causing a near-total loss of thrust.
"Why Did You Cut Off?" — Confusion in the Cockpit
Perhaps most hauntingly, cockpit voice recordings captured a moment of confusion and panic between the two pilots just before impact. One pilot is heard asking, "Why did you cut off?" to which the other responds, "I did not do so."
At the time of the crash, the co-pilot was operating the aircraft, while the captain was monitoring the flight. The report does not specify which pilot’s voice was which.
Although the switches were moved back to the "RUN" position, initiating the engines' restart sequence, the aircraft had already lost significant altitude.
One engine had begun regaining thrust, while the other had restarted but had not yet stabilized.
The flight was captained by 56-year-old Sumeet Sabharwal, a veteran with over 15,000 hours of flight time, including 8,596 hours on the Boeing 787. Known by colleagues as a "gentleman," Sabharwal had reassured his family with a call before takeoff.
His co-pilot, 32-year-old Clive Kunder, had logged over 3,400 flight hours, 1,128 of them on the Boeing 787. A lifelong aviation enthusiast, Kunder had joined Air India in 2017 and had been certified to operate various aircraft.
No Signs of Mechanical Failure
Critically, the AAIB report indicates that no faults were found with the Boeing 787-8 aircraft or its General Electric GEnx-1B engines.
"At this stage of investigation, there are no recommended actions to B787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers," the report concludes, implying no systemic mechanical or design flaws.
Black Box Recovery Complicated by Damage
Investigators faced considerable delays in retrieving data due to the black boxes’ condition. Aviation expert Captain Steeeve explained the challenge: "If you've got a flight data recorder that's not damaged at all you can simply plug a cord into it and retrieve the data. It gets much more complicated when they're damaged. Now you've got to take that thing someplace where somebody can interpret it."
Despite the challenges, 49 hours of flight data and two hours of cockpit audio were eventually extracted, including the crash itself.
Experts Question Possibility of Accidental Switch
Aviation experts have expressed skepticism over the idea that the cutoff switches could have been flipped unintentionally.
"There are very few situations or circumstances which would explain this," said pilot and aviation consultant Tim Atkinson.
“One would be an utterly extraordinary human error, an unintentional act, and the other - I'm very sorry to say - would be an intentional act. And that's not a suggestion or allegation, it's simply an analysis of the small amount of information that we have at hand at this moment," Atkinson told Sky News.
And per The Independent, several aviation experts are asking "why" the switches were flipped a second apart, with US aviation expert John Nance stating that a pilot would normally never turn the switches off in flight, especially as the plane is starting to climb.
Crash Site and Ongoing Investigation
The Dreamliner plunged into a residential building used as accommodation for doctors at Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College and Civil Hospital, killing several people on the ground.
Drone footage and site analysis have been completed. Both engines have been moved to a secure hangar for further examination.
“Components of interest for further examinations have been identified and quarantined,” the AAIB noted.
While the preliminary report does not draw definitive conclusions, it has shifted the investigative focus toward cockpit actions. The AAIB is expected to issue a more detailed final report in the coming months.
In the meantime, global aviation authorities, manufacturers, and airlines are monitoring developments closely — but as of now, no changes to Boeing 787-8 procedures or maintenance protocols have been recommended.
Our thoughts continue to go out to every person impacted by this tragedy.