New information has come to light regarding the Air India plane crash that claimed the lives of 260 people.
The aircraft, operating as Flight AI171, departed Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 PM local time on June 12 but plummeted into a built-up area near BJ Medical College within minutes, claiming 241 of the 242 lives on board and killing 19 more on the ground.
Only a single passenger, a British citizen seated in 11A, miraculously walked away from the devastation, later meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi before being discharged from the hospital.
Now, as India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau leads a joint investigation with US and British officials, the probe is focusing sharply on the pilots’ actions in the cockpit, with The Wall Street Journal reporting that “the switches controlling the fuel flow to the aircraft’s two engines were turned off, resulting in a noticeable loss of thrust shortly after takeoff.”
These switches, essential for starting and maintaining engine operation, would normally remain on during flight. Sources cited by WSJ said it remains unclear “whether the move was accidental or intentional, or whether the pilots tried to turn them back on.”
Specialist aviation outlet The Air Current reported the investigation has “narrowed its focus to the movement of the engine fuel switches,” adding that a full analysis could “take months – if not longer,” with the focus potentially shifting as new data comes to light.
However, current information indicates that “the data available to investigators does not indicate a mechanical or design issue” with the 787 Dreamliner or its engines, according to The Air Current.
Post-crash analysis found “no sign of fuel contamination or improper retraction of the aircraft’s flaps,” which had been the subject of earlier speculation.
Indian forensic teams have now identified all 260 victims using DNA analysis. Initial estimates placed the death toll at 279 due to the fragmented and burned state of the remains, but revised figures have confirmed the final toll.
“All the human remains found so far from the crash site have been identified and handed over to their families,” said Rakesh Joshi, head of Ahmedabad’s main state hospital. “Our work is now over… we have matched DNA of all the mortal remains that were collected from the crash site.”
The remains of 26 victims were returned to their families on Tuesday, while for others who had already held funerals with partial remains, ceremonies were conducted to honor them.
“Seven families collected the remains of their kin … while 19 families gave consent to the hospital to carry out the rites,” Joshi confirmed, per News.com.au.
While the official cause remains under investigation, the loss of Air India Flight AI171 stands as one of the deadliest air disasters in decades.