A preliminary investigation into last month’s tragic crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner has identified an abrupt cut in fuel supply to both engines shortly after takeoff as the key cause of the accident, which claimed 260 lives.
The aircraft, operating as Flight AI171, had just departed from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12 en route to London Gatwick. Moments after becoming airborne, the jet lost altitude and crashed into a nearby building housing a student hostel. Of the 243 people on board, only one survived. Several people on the ground also died in the impact.
According to the initial findings from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the twin-engine jet experienced a dual engine shutdown caused by the movement of the cockpit’s fuel control switches from the RUN to CUTOFF position — one after the other within the span of a second. This action starved both engines of fuel at a critical moment during the climb.
Data from the aircraft’s black boxes revealed that shortly after the switches were moved, one of the pilots questioned the action. The other pilot denied having flipped the switches. The switches were quickly moved back to the RUN position in an attempt to restart the engines, but the aircraft had already begun to lose altitude.
The emergency Ram Air Turbine — a backup power source — deployed automatically, indicating severe electrical and power loss. Engine restart procedures began, but the aircraft was too low to recover before it crashed.
The report emphasized that the fuel switches are positioned between the pilot seats behind the throttle levers and are protected by safety mechanisms to prevent accidental activation. These switches are intended to be moved only under direct pilot control and are not capable of shifting on their own.
Investigators found that all major systems on the aircraft were functioning properly prior to takeoff. The engines had been recently installed — the left in late March, the right in early May — and the quality of fuel was confirmed to be satisfactory. The aircraft’s weight, flap settings, and other configurations were also found to be within normal parameters for departure.
The captain of the flight was a 56-year-old veteran pilot with more than 15,000 flying hours, while the first officer, aged 32, had over 3,400 hours of experience.
Families of the victims are calling for accountability. One father who lost his son in the crash urged authorities to carry out a thorough and unbiased investigation, emphasizing that those responsible for the tragedy must face consequences. Another grieving relative said the government should implement stricter safety checks to prevent future incidents of this nature.
Air India has acknowledged the release of the report and reiterated its commitment to supporting the investigation and the families affected. The airline stated that it remains fully cooperative with all regulatory authorities and continues to offer assistance to those impacted.
The final report, which is expected in the coming months, will aim to determine whether human error, equipment malfunction, or other factors ultimately led to one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India’s recent history.
