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AAIB Releases Preliminary Report for Ahmedabad Plane Crash Investigation

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released the initial probe report. It was for the investigation into the June 12 crash of Air India flight AI 171. The accident’s cause was a transition in fuel control switches. This happened three seconds after the Boeing 787-8 became airborne.

Sudden Fuel Cutoff

The 12-year-old Boeing Dreamliner’s fuel-control switches abruptly moved to the “CUTOFF” position from the “RUN” position one after the other. This happened seconds after take-off and led to a sudden loss of thrust. According to the AAIB report, one of the pilots can be heard on the cockpit voice recorder. He asks the other pilot why he cut off the fuel. The other pilot responds, saying that he did not.

Also read: Ahmedabad Tragedy: AAIB Submits Preliminary Report on Plane Crash

Crew Status

The pilot flying was co-pilot Clive Kundar, while pilot-in-command Sumeet Sabharwal was pilot monitoring for this flight. Sabharwal had nearly 8,600 hours on the Boeing 787 under his belt. Kundar had over 1,100 hours. Both of these hour counts were more than sufficient. The report mentioned that both pilots had an adequate rest period before the flight. There were 10 cabin crew on board the aircraft going from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick.

Attempt to Run the Engines

The switches for both aircrafts turned back to the “RUN” position after a few seconds in the “CUTOFF” position. The pilots attempted to save the doomed aircraft. But the aircraft was at very low altitude. There wasn’t enough time for the engines to recover. While Engine 1’s core deceleration stopped, reversed and started to progress to recovery. Engine 2 could not stop decelerating.

The report also mentions that the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) got deployed right after take-off, according to CCTV footage. A RAT is a backup power source in aircraft. It deploys automatically if there is a dual-engine failure or other catastrophic power loss.

The pilots did transmit a “MAYDAY” call – thrice, but it was in vain. The Air Traffic Control (ATC) officer inquired about the call to identify the flight and received no response. He observed the aircraft crashing outside the airport boundary about 30 seconds after its take-off.

Experts Question Switch Movement

According to airline experts, the accidental movement of fuel switches is almost impossible. The switches have brackets on either side to protect them. Additionally, the stop lock mechanism requires the pilots to lift the switch. This must be done before moving it from either of its two positions—RUN and CUTOFF—to the other. The report does not mention whether the switches were deliberately moved or not.

Air India Responds

In a statement, Air India said, “We have received the preliminary report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). It was released today, 12 July 2025. Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. We continue to fully cooperate with the AAIB and other authorities as their investigation progresses.”

The Timeline of Events

1.18.38 pm: The aircraft was observed departing from Bay 34 at the airport.
1.25.15 pm: The aircraft requested taxi clearance. Air traffic control granted it. A minute later, the aircraft taxied from the bay to Runway 23 via Taxiway R4. It backtracked and lined up for take-off.
1.32.03 pm: The aircraft was transferred from ground to tower control.
01.37.33 pm: Take-off clearance issued.
01.37.37 pm: The aircraft started rolling.
01.38.39 pm: Aircraft lifted off. “The aircraft air/ground sensors transitioned to air mode, consistent with liftoff,” the report said.
01.38.42 pm: Aircraft reached max airspeed of 180 knots. Engines transitioned from “RUN” to “CUTOFF”. RAT is deployed. Aircraft starts losing altitude.
01.38.47pm: both engines’ values “passed below minimum idle speed”, and the RAT hydraulic pump began supplying hydraulic power.
01.38.52 pm: Engine 1 fuel cutoff switch transitioned from CUTOFF to RUN.
01.38.56 pm: Engine 2 fuel cutoff switch also transitions from CUTOFF to RUN.
01.39.05 pm: “At about 08:09:05 UTC, one of the pilots transmitted ‘MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY’.
01.39.11 pm: Data recording stopped. “The EAFR recording stopped at 08.09.11 UTC.”
01.44.44 pm: Crash fire tender left the airport premises for rescue and firefighting.