The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released its first report into the tragic Air India crash that took place in Ahmedabad last month. The June 12 accident claimed 260 lives, including people on the ground, making it one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India in recent years.
Only one person survived out of the 241 on board the aircraft.
On the morning of June 12, Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, took off from Ahmedabad for London’s Gatwick airport. Within seconds of becoming airborne, the aircraft crashed into a building near the airport, just 0.9 nautical miles from the runway.
The flight was in the air for only 32 seconds before the tragic incident.
Key findings from the AAIB report
Engines shut down just after takeoff
The report showed that both engines stopped working mid-air shortly after takeoff. Within a single second, the fuel cutoff switches were moved from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’, which cut off fuel supply to both engines.
Cockpit audio: Confusion between pilots
Recordings from the cockpit captured a tense exchange between the pilots during the final seconds. One pilot was heard asking, "Why did you cut off?" and the other replied, "I didn't."
Emergency system deployed, but it was too late
As the engines failed, the aircraft's Ram Air Turbine (RAT) — a small, backup power system — automatically deployed. This was confirmed through airport CCTV footage.
The pilots tried to restart the engines. While Engine 1 showed signs of partial recovery, Engine 2 couldn’t be revived before the aircraft crashed.
Flight data shows technical confusion
Interestingly, while the thrust levers were found at idle after the crash, the aircraft's black box indicated that takeoff thrust was still engaged. This points to a possible disconnect or technical fault in the system.
No fuel contamination or weather problems
Tests showed that the fuel used was clean, and there was no contamination from the airport refueling system.
The flap setting (at 5 degrees) and landing gear position (down) were appropriate for takeoff.
There were no weather-related issues, skies were clear, visibility was good, and wind was light.
Bird activity was ruled out.
Pilots were experienced and fit
The report confirmed that both pilots had valid credentials, were medically fit, and had sufficient rest and experience to operate this type of aircraft. There was no sign of negligence from the flight crew.
While there’s no evidence of sabotage, the report highlighted that Air India did not carry out inspections related to an earlier FAA advisory about a possible issue with the fuel control switch system.
The aircraft itself was within weight and balance limits, and there were no dangerous items onboard.
This is only the preliminary report. A full investigation is still underway to understand exactly how and why the fuel switches were moved. For now, the AAIB is focused on gathering more data, including from aircraft manufacturers and maintenance records.