Air India Flight Crash Report: On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed just moments after taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, bound for London Gatwick. The devastating accident claimed 260 lives, including 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground, making it India’s deadliest aviation disaster in nearly three decades. A preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), released on July 12, 2025, has shed light on the chilling sequence of events, but many questions remain unanswered. Let’s dive into what we know so far about this heartbreaking incident.
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The Fateful Moments After Takeoff
The flight took off at 13:39 IST, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members. According to the AAIB’s 15-page preliminary report, the plane climbed to just 625 feet before disaster struck. Within seconds of takeoff, both engines’ fuel control switches were inexplicably moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF,” starving the engines of fuel. Cockpit voice recordings captured a tense exchange: one pilot asked, “Why did you cut off?” to which the other replied, “I didn’t do it.” Moments later, the pilots attempted to restore fuel by switching back to “RUN,” and one engine briefly restarted, but it was too late. The plane, fully loaded with nearly 100 tons of fuel, plummeted into a medical college hostel, erupting in flames. A mayday call was the last transmission from the cockpit, and the aircraft was airborne for only 32 seconds.
Investigating the Fuel Switch Mystery
The AAIB report highlights the fuel cutoff as the critical factor, but how or why the switches were flipped remains unclear. These lever-lock switches, designed with safeguards to prevent accidental movement, require deliberate action to disengage. Aviation experts, like John Cox, emphasize that accidental activation is highly unlikely, stating, “You can’t just bump them.” Some speculate human error, while others, including aviation safety expert Captain Mohan Ranganathan, have raised the unsettling possibility of deliberate action, citing the 2015 Germanwings crash as a precedent. The report notes no mechanical failures or design flaws in the Boeing 787 or its GE engines, and no bird strikes or fuel contamination were observed. The investigation is now probing pilot behavior, maintenance records, and the aircraft’s systems, with data from the recovered black boxes—containing 49 hours of flight data and two hours of cockpit audio—under intense scrutiny.
The Human Toll and Survivor’s Story
The crash’s impact was catastrophic, destroying five buildings and killing 19 people on the ground, including students at the B.J. Medical College hostel. Only one passenger, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, survived, escaping through an emergency exit. He recounted the chaos: “I heard a loud bang, and the plane felt stuck in the air. Lights flickered, then it crashed.” The loss of life included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, among them former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. Families like that of Saiyed Javed Ali, who lost his brother, sister-in-law, and their two children, are left grappling with grief and demanding answers. The preliminary report offers no recommendations yet, leaving relatives frustrated but hopeful for clarity in the final report, expected within a year.
What’s Next for the Investigation?
The AAIB, supported by experts from Boeing, General Electric, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, and the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch, is conducting a thorough probe under international aviation rules. The focus is on analyzing fuel samples, post-mortem reports, and simulator recreations of the flight’s conditions. Air India has implemented additional safety checks on its Boeing 787 fleet, and India’s aviation regulator has ordered inspections of fuel systems and takeoff parameters. While the preliminary report rules out immediate mechanical issues, questions about pilot training, fatigue, and even sabotage persist. The investigation’s complexity means definitive answers may take months, but the global aviation community is watching closely to prevent such tragedies in the future.
This crash has shaken India’s aviation sector and the families affected. As we await further findings, the focus remains on ensuring accountability and safer skies for all.