In brief
Three days after the worst aviation disaster in India’s history, officials from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau announced that the investigation into the fatal crash of Air India Flight AI171 is still underway. The inquiry has made significant progress in examining aircraft systems, engines and flight‑data recorders, yet a completion date has not been set. Preliminary findings point to fuel‑control switches abruptly moving to the cut‑off position seconds after take‑off, killing engine power, while cockpit audio has spurred speculation that the senior pilot may have activated the cut, a claim rebuffed by pilot associations and the AAIB. The investigation continues to consult records and air‑traffic data as it seeks to draw definitive conclusions.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India confirmed on the first anniversary of the tragedy that the examination of Air India Flight AI171’s fatal loss remains active. The inquiry, which first reported in a preliminary bulletin last July, noted important progress in dissecting the plane’s aircraft systems, flight‑data recorders, engines and maintenance logs, but the officials have not yet set a timetable for when a final report will be released.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, bound for London, crashed within minutes of take‑off from Ahmedabad on 12 June 2025, killing 260 people on board and 19 on the ground. A preliminary report highlighted that the aircraft’s fuel‑control switches slid into the “cut‑off” position seconds after departure, depriving the engines of power. Audio recording from the cockpit captured a tense dialogue between the two pilots, with one asking why the other had made the switch, while the other denied doing so. The investigators remain undecided about which pilot recorded the exchange.
Subsequent analysis has intensified speculation over the senior officer’s possible involvement. Recent articles from the Wall Street Journal and Reuters suggest that the recordings point to the captain, identified as Capt Sabharwal, as having initiated the fuel cut. The material has drawn sharp criticism from India’s pilot associations, who say the coverage unfairly implicates the senior pilot and has prompted the AAIB to reject such claims outright.
