"Fault within aircraft that jet fuel switch turned off automatically": Civil aviation expert on AI171 preliminary crash report

New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): Civil aviation expert Sanat Kaul has said that the preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on the Air India flight AI171 crash suggests that "some fault within the aircraft" led to the jet fuel switches turning off automatically during takeoff, causing the tragic crash that killed 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground.
Speaking to ANI, Kaul said the report indicates that fuel supply to the aircraft's engines was unexpectedly cut off during takeoff.
"From the report I have seen, there was no other reason for the aircraft to go down but the manufacturing part; the fuel to the engine itself switched off accidentally or there was something that the pilot or the co-pilot was not aware of and the engine lost the thrust," Kaul said.
"It appears that the fuel was cut off on takeoff. The voice recorder makes it clear that neither the commander nor the co-pilot switched off the jet fuel switch. This is obviously some fault within the aircraft that the jet fuel switch turned off automatically," he added.
Kaul also raised concerns about aircraft manufacturer Boeing. "In Boeing, it is not the first time; there were two instances of that new plane, which, after takeoff, again went down and crashed, and people died. In both these cases, it finally came out that the changes have been made in the max varieties of 737, and the pilot was not aware of the situation, and Boeing deliberately did not give training because training costs money, and they have to bear the cost," he said.
"There have been whistleblowers from the ones who worked in the Boeing company who said that Boeing is trying to save money on manufacturing and safety aspects," Kaul added.
India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released the preliminary report into the tragic crash of Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12.
The report outlines a harrowing sequence of events that unfolded within 90 seconds of takeoff, as both engines of the aircraft shut down unexpectedly during the initial climb, leading to a catastrophic loss of thrust and rapid descent.
Flight data recovered from the aircraft's Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR) revealed that the fuel cutoff switches for both engines were inadvertently moved from RUN to CUTOFF, one after the other within a 1-second interval, at an altitude just moments after liftoff. One pilot was heard asking the other, "Why did you cut off?" to which the response was, "I did not."
This uncommanded shutdown triggered the deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT), and the aircraft began losing altitude almost immediately, unable to sustain powered flight.
According to the AAIB, the pilots re-engaged the fuel switches in an attempt to relight both engines. Engine 1 showed signs of recovering thrust, but Engine 2 failed to stabilise. The aircraft, which had briefly reached a speed of 180 knots, was already descending and failed to regain altitude. The final distress call -- a "MAYDAY" -- was transmitted at 08:09 UTC, just seconds before the aircraft crashed into residential buildings outside the airport perimeter.
The aircraft struck several buildings, including the BJ Medical College hostel, causing significant structural and fire damage across five structures. The Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) did not activate, and emergency services were mobilised within five minutes of the crash.
The wreckage trail extended over 1,000 feet, with major components including the vertical stabiliser, engines, and landing gear found embedded in buildings and scattered across the crash site.
The aircraft, registered VT-ANB, was delivered in 2013 and had recently undergone routine maintenance. All Airworthiness Directives had been complied with, and the fuel quality was confirmed to be within specifications. There were no reported technical defects linked to the engines or flight control systems immediately before the accident.
The pilot-in-command, a 56-year-old with over 15,000 flying hours, and the co-pilot, 32, with over 3,400 hours, were both fully qualified and had no recent duty irregularities or medical issues reported. (ANI)