New Delhi : Air India has reiterated its commitment to fully cooperating with authorities following the release of a preliminary investigation report into the tragic crash of flight AI171, which claimed 260 lives.
“Air India stands in solidarity with the families and all those affected by the AI171 accident. We continue to mourn the loss and remain fully committed to providing support during this difficult time,” the airline said in a statement.
The airline confirmed it had received the preliminary findings from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and emphasized that, due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, it would not comment on specific details. All such queries are being directed to the AAIB.
Key Findings from the Preliminary Report
According to the AAIB’s 15-page preliminary report, fuel control switches to both engines of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner were moved from the “RUN” to “CUTOFF” position just seconds before the crash. The aircraft had just taken off from Ahmedabad en route to London when it went down, killing 241 of the 242 people on board, along with 19 people on the ground.
The report did not assign blame or offer final conclusions but revealed critical moments from the cockpit voice recorder.
“One pilot is heard asking the other, ‘Why did you cut off [the fuel]?’ The second pilot responded that he had not,” the report states.
It further notes that the two fuel cutoff switches—Engine 1 and Engine 2—were moved to “CUTOFF” one second apart, shortly after the aircraft reached its top recorded speed.
The engines then began to lose power, causing the aircraft to rapidly descend. Moments later, the switches were returned to the “RUN” position, and engine power began to return. However, by then, one of the pilots had already transmitted a “MAYDAY” distress call.
Air traffic controllers attempted to communicate, but the aircraft crashed approximately 30 seconds after takeoff. Emergency personnel were immediately dispatched to the crash site.
What Experts Say
“We now know — with some degree of confidence — that both engines rolled back because the fuel switches were activated,” said Jeff Guzzetti, former head of accident investigations at the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“What we don’t know is why or how the switches were activated — and that’s going to be a key focus of the investigation.”
The AAIB report stated that there are no current safety recommendations for Boeing 787-8 operators or GE GEnx-1B engine manufacturers at this stage.
FAA Alert from 2018 Resurfaces
The report also cited a 2018 FAA airworthiness bulletin, which warned of a potential fault where fuel control switches on Boeing aircraft (including the 737 and 787) could inadvertently move from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” without engaging their locking mechanism.
The Air India aircraft involved in the crash had never been inspected for this specific issue, as the check was not mandatory under FAA or DGCA directives.
The final report from AAIB is expected to shed more light on the incident as investigators work to determine whether technical failure, pilot error, or other factors were responsible for one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent Indian history.
