Air India AI 171 Crash: Preliminary Report Points to Fuel Switch Malfunction, Not Pilot Error

Fuel control switches of the AI 171 flight that crashed in Ahmedabad malfunctioned seconds after take-off, the preliminary report into the June 12 tragedy has revealed.

Air India Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed to the ground as soon as it took off, leading to the tragic loss of 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground. The report was made public early on July 12. 

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India, leading the probe, submitted its findings to the Ministry of Civil Aviation on July 8, adhering to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) protocols. The report, based on data from the flight’s black boxes—comprising the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR)—indicates that the fuel control switches for both General Electric GEnx-1B engines moved from the "RUN" to "CUTOFF" position within a one-second interval during the initial climb, at an altitude of just 625 feet.

Not Pilot Error

Cockpit audio captured one pilot exclaiming, “Why did you cut off?” with the other responding, “I didn’t,” suggesting the switch movement was not intentional.

The aircraft’s Ram Air Turbine (RAT), a backup power system, deployed automatically, indicating a severe loss of electrical or engine power, but thrust levers remained idle, and attempts to relight the engines failed. The plane crashed 32 seconds after take-off into a hostel at B.J. Medical College, causing multiple explosions.

Investigators have ruled out fuel contamination and improper flap retraction as causes, with wreckage analysis showing extended right-wing slats, likely deployed to gain lift. The landing gear also failed to retract, possibly due to insufficient power. A known vulnerability in the fuel control switch system, previously unidentified in pre-flight inspections, is under scrutiny, though no mechanical or design flaws in the Boeing 787 or its engines have been confirmed.

The investigation, supported by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Boeing, GE Aerospace, and Indian experts, is exploring whether the switch movement resulted from a technical malfunction, such as a Thrust Control Malfunction Accommodation (TCMA) failure, or an external factor. U.S. aviation attorney Mary Schiavo suggested that dual engine failures, while rare, often stem from external causes like software glitches, which can be difficult to diagnose in seconds.

Air India has cooperated fully, providing technical logs showing no prior safety issues with the aircraft, which had a recently serviced right engine and a clean maintenance history. The airline has offered interim compensation of ₹25 lakh ($30,000) and Tata Sons ₹1 crore ($120,000) per victim’s family. Legal teams in the UK and U.S. are preparing potential lawsuits against Boeing, pending further findings. A final report, expected within 12-18 months, will address the root cause, including whether systemic issues in the Boeing 787 or pilot training require reform. The crash, the first fatal incident involving a 787 Dreamliner since its 2011 debut, has raised global concerns about aviation safety.