Air India Flight 171: Crash Investigation Uncovers Fuel Supply Cut-Off

A preliminary report into the Air India plane crash last month found that fuel to the engines was cut off shortly after takeoff, with switches in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner's cockpit moving to a "CUTOFF" position. There was confusion in the cockpit, with one pilot asking the other why they "cut off" fuel supply, and the other responding that they did not do so. The report did not identify the cause of the switches being moved or conclude whether it was an intentional or unintentional act. The crash killed 241 passengers and 19 people on the ground, with only one passenger surviving. The investigation is ongoing, with a final report expected within a year.

Investigators have uncovered a chilling discovery in the preliminary investigation into the Air India Flight 171 crash that killed 260 people. Just seconds after takeoff, both fuel-control switches moved to the "cut-off" position, starving the engines of fuel and triggering total power loss. The cockpit voice recording captures one pilot asking the other why he "did the cut-off", to which the person replies that he didn't. Investigators are probing the wreckage and cockpit recorders to understand what went wrong, and are unsure whether the move was intentional or accidental. The investigation is ongoing, with experts divided on the possible causes, including a potential issue with the fuel control switches or electronic control unit.

A preliminary report into the Air India passenger plane crash that killed at least 270 people last month has found that both engines were cut off after takeoff by flipping the cutoff switches, one after another, within one second, three seconds into the flight, leading to a loss of thrust and ultimately crashing 32 seconds later. The report doesn't state how the switch was flipped, and the pilots' conversation recorded on the cockpit voice recorder suggests that one pilot did not realize the other had cut off the fuel supply.

On June 12, 2025, an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft, registration VT-ANB, crashed immediately after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, India, resulting in 241 fatalities. The flight, Al171, was scheduled to fly to London Gatwick Airport. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India led the investigation, assisted by international teams from the US National Transportation Safety Board, Boeing, GE, and the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as teams from the UK and Canada due to the involvement of citizens from these countries. Preliminary findings indicated that the aircraft was destroyed by the impact and subsequent fire, damaging five buildings on the ground. The aircraft had accumulated 41,868 hours and had undergone recent engine replacements. The investigation noted several active Minimum Equipment List (MEL) items and highlighted a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) related to the fuel control switch locking feature, though it was not mandatory. The investigation is ongoing, with various experts assisting in the analysis.