BREAKING: Fuel Cutoff Triggered Air India Crash, Preliminary Report Confirms

A chilling revelation from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) indicates that both engines of Air India Flight 171 were deliberately cut off from fuel just three seconds after takeoff, leading to the deadliest aviation disaster in a decade. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, bound for London from Ahmedabad, crashed on June 12, killing all but one of the 242 onboard and 19 people on the ground .

Key Findings from the Report

• Simultaneous Switch Activation: The fuel control switches flipped from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” within one second of each other at 180 knots airspeed, causing immediate thrust loss. Cockpit recordings captured one pilot asking, “Why did you cut off?” with the other responding, “I did not do so”.
• Failed Recovery: Pilots attempted to restore fuel flow, and Engine 1 partially relit, but the aircraft—now at 650 feet—slammed into a medical college hostel. The Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployed, confirming total engine failure .
• No Mechanical Blame: The AAIB found no faults with the Boeing 787-8 or its GE GEnx-1B engines. A 2018 FAA advisory about potential switch lock disengagement was noted, but Air India deemed inspections non-mandatory .

Pilot Profiles

• Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 56, had 15,638 flight hours (8,596 on the 787) and was an instructor.
• First Officer Clive Kunder, 32, had 3,403 hours (1,128 on the 787). The report did not attribute actions to either pilot .

Expert Analysis

• Intentional or Accidental? Aviation safety expert John Cox emphasized the switches’ design: “You can’t bump them—they must be deliberately moved” 1. The 1-second gap between switch movements suggests manual action .
• Procedural Gap: The FAA’s 2018 bulletin warned of switch lock issues but required no mandatory fixes. Air India’s compliance was voluntary .

Human Toll

• Sole Survivor: Vishwashkumar Ramesh, 40, escaped through fuselage wreckage, recalling “lights flickering before the explosion” .
• Ground Victims: The crash destroyed five buildings, including a student dining hall at BJ Medical College .

Next Steps
The AAIB will analyze black box data, fuel samples, and crew medical records. A final report is expected within a year. Meanwhile, Boeing and Air India face scrutiny over training and switch safeguards