Inside the Tragedy of Air India Flight AI-171: At 1:10 PM on June 12, 2025, Air India Flight AI-171 was scheduled to depart from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, en route to Gatwick, London. All pre-flight protocols were completed without any red flags. The night before, at 11:25 PM, the flight crew underwent a mandatory breath analyzer test, which showed normal results. Flight logs confirmed that the pilots were well-rested in the preceding 24 hours.
By 12:30 PM, the cabin crew was at the boarding gate and pre-flight checks were already underway. Weather conditions at the airport were ideal, with normal wind and visibility levels. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner carried 230 passengers, 12 crew members, and 54,000 litres of aviation fuel. The total load was well within the aircraft’s permissible take-off weight. Furthermore, there was no dangerous cargo onboard.
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Table of Contents
A Smooth Takeoff — Until It Wasn’t
At 1:18 PM, the aircraft began taxiing to the designated runway. All systems were functioning normally. The takeoff commenced from Runway 23, and by 1:38 PM, the plane had successfully lifted off the ground.
However, just 42 seconds into the flight, disaster struck.
A Catastrophic Cut-Off
At precisely 1:38:42 PM, the aircraft reached its peak recorded speed of 180 knots. Within moments, the Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR) reported an abrupt stoppage of fuel supply to both engines. Shockingly, the fuel cut-off switches positioned between the pilots had moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF”. This transition, though mechanically possible within a second, is designed to be highly secure and deliberate.
The switches in question are meant for very specific purposes: to start the engines, shut them down post-landing, or to cut off fuel during in-flight emergencies. The cockpit voice recorder captured a brief but telling exchange—one pilot, clearly confused, asked, “Why did you cut off?” to which the other responded, “I didn’t.”
Almost instantly, both engines began to lose power. The EAFR recorded a significant drop in the N2 values, indicating that the core RPM of the engines had dropped below idle, confirming a loss of thrust.
Desperate Efforts to Save the Aircraft
As engine power failed, the aircraft’s emergency backup systems kicked in. The Ram Air Turbine (RAT) automatically deployed, supplying emergency hydraulic power to keep the aircraft somewhat controllable.
The pilots sprang into action, trying to restart the engines. At 1:38:52 PM, they switched the fuel lever for Engine 1 back to “RUN”. Four seconds later, Engine 2’s fuel lever was also re-engaged. The aircraft’s Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system responded quickly. Data from the EGT (Exhaust Gas Temperature) showed that both engines were reigniting. Turbine temperatures began to rise—a clear sign that Engine 1 was beginning to recover.
Unfortunately, Engine 2 failed to recover. Had the aircraft been at a slightly higher altitude, it might have been able to circle back on one working engine. But the plane had neither the altitude nor the time to maneuver.
At 1:39:05 PM, the pilots issued a Mayday call. Just six seconds later, the EAFR stopped recording. In mere moments, Flight AI-171 turned into a fireball. All 242 people onboard lost their lives.
The Government’s Silence and a Preliminary Report
A full month after the crash, the government released a preliminary investigation report without holding a press conference or offering any opportunity for public questions. This muted response only intensified public suspicion and led to a flurry of unanswered questions.
The central mystery that still hangs over the case is unsettling: who—or what—cut off the fuel supply to both engines?
The Fuel Cut-Off Switch: Not a Simple Toggle
The fuel control switch isn’t something that can be triggered lightly. It is designed with spring-loaded guards to prevent accidental activation. These switches require a conscious, deliberate motion to disengage, making it extremely unlikely that both switches could be moved within a second purely by mistake.
This detail casts serious doubt on the pilot error theory. Both switches transitioning from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” simultaneously isn’t something that happens without a clear cause.
Is It Human Error or a System Malfunction?
While some media outlets have jumped to label the incident as pilot error, the facts tell a more complex story. The pilots had clear flight records, valid certifications, and experience operating the Boeing 787. They had successfully flown the aircraft earlier that day as Flight AI-432 from Delhi to Ahmedabad without incident.
Furthermore, the cockpit voice recording reveals the pilots’ immediate confusion and denial when the engines lost power. There was no fuel contamination, no bird strike, no weather interference, and no overloading. To believe that trained pilots accidentally shut off both engines with guarded switches—and within a second—defies logic.
This leads to a chilling possibility: could a mechanical fault, a software anomaly, or a short circuit have caused the switches to move?
FAA Bulletin from 2018 – A Crucial Warning Ignored?
There is a critical document that aviation authorities should not ignore. In December 2018, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) that warned of potential malfunctions in fuel control switches on Boeing aircraft, including the 787 series.
The bulletin explicitly stated that if the locking mechanism on these switches failed, they could inadvertently toggle from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” during flight. The result of such a malfunction would be immediate engine shutdown.
However, Boeing chose to issue the warning as an advisory, not a mandatory directive. Consequently, airlines were under no obligation to inspect or replace these switches. Air India, while replacing throttle controls in 2019 and 2023, never replaced the fuel switches.
Echoes of the Boeing 737 MAX Tragedy
The AI-171 incident bears disturbing similarities to the Boeing 737 MAX tragedies caused by the faulty MCAS system. In both cases, Boeing is accused of downplaying known defects. In both cases, regulators failed to enforce mandatory inspections or fixes.
This raises the haunting question: is Boeing once again trying to shift responsibility and protect its corporate interests?
By issuing an advisory, Boeing retains plausible deniability. If a crash happens, they can claim they warned the airlines. And airlines, for their part, can say they followed standard procedure by not acting on non-mandatory guidance.
What the Report Misses
The preliminary report released after the crash does not address several key issues. It fails to confirm whether the switch malfunction was due to a mechanical, electrical, or software fault. It does not provide clarity on whether any cockpit system initiated the shut-off.
Also missing is an exploration into a fault code reported by the crew who flew the same aircraft earlier that day. While the airline claims the fault—linked to a stabilizer sensor—was resolved, the possibility that another sensor or switch might have malfunctioned has not been ruled out.
The Larger Questions We Must Ask
Why was there no detailed technical briefing? Why was the critical issue of fuel switch failure mentioned so briefly? Could this be another attempt to protect powerful stakeholders by brushing aside uncomfortable truths?
What Needs to Happen Now
Every Boeing 787 aircraft should undergo immediate inspection of its fuel control switches. There should be a mandatory, rather than advisory, directive for airlines to ensure all safety mechanisms are functioning as intended. Pilot associations and engineering experts should be directly involved in the investigation to ensure transparency. Boeing’s internal systems, both hardware and software, must be thoroughly audited for faults and accountability.
Inside the Tragedy of Air India Flight AI-171: One Switch Can Bring Down a Plane
The AI-171 disaster may have unfolded in just 30 seconds, but its consequences were profound. This tragedy highlights serious flaws in aviation oversight and manufacturer transparency. Whether the cause was pilot error, a technical malfunction, or a software glitch, the truth must be uncovered—not to assign blame, but to prevent such a catastrophe from happening again. Because in aviation, the smallest oversight can lead to the greatest loss. And sometimes, all it takes is a single switch.
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