As questions mount over the catastrophic June 12 crash of flight AI171 in Ahmedabad, both Air India and Boeing have issued responses to the preliminary report published by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which points to a sudden and near-simultaneous fuel cutoff in both engines seconds after take-off.
The tragedy, involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London, claimed the lives of 260 people and is now being described as India’s worst air disaster in over a decade. Investigators have confirmed that the aircraft’s engines were starved of fuel when their cutoff switches transitioned from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ one second apart, immediately after lift-off.
In a statement released on Saturday, Air India said: “We stand in solidarity with the families and those affected by the AI171 accident. We continue to mourn the loss and are fully committed to providing support during this difficult time. Air India is working closely with stakeholders and regulators and continues to fully cooperate with the AAIB and other authorities.”
The airline refrained from commenting directly on the findings, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing responded with a brief note, stating: “We defer to AAIB to provide information about AI171, in adherence with United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization protocol.”
The AAIB report has stunned the global aviation community by documenting the near-instantaneous flipping of both engine fuel cutoff switches shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad. This action, highly atypical in normal flight conditions, led to a sudden loss of engine thrust. The cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot asking, “Why did you cut off?”, to which the other replied, “I didn’t do so.”
While the voice exchange is chilling in its simplicity, the report does not identify which of the two pilots made the statement, nor who issued the triple “Mayday” distress call. The lack of clarity has deepened the mystery surrounding the cause of the accident and renewed scrutiny of cockpit protocols.
Also read: AI crash report says both engines cut off shortly after take-off
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, aged 56, had amassed over 15,000 hours of flight time. His co-pilot, 32-year-old Clive Kunder, had clocked more than 3,400 hours. Despite a brief moment when the engines appeared to relight, the aircraft failed to recover and crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel just outside the airport perimeter.
Aviation analysts have expressed concern that the simultaneous shutdown of both engines due to manual movement of cutoff switches would be extremely rare under standard operating procedures.
“If they were moved because of a pilot, why?” asked Anthony Brickhouse, a noted American aviation expert. John Nance, another specialist in aviation safety, added: “The cutoff switches are typically used only after landing or in dire emergencies, none of which was evident.”
The AAIB has not concluded whether the switch movement was accidental, mechanical, or intentional. The possibility of cockpit error, technical malfunction, or even sabotage remains under close examination.
The investigation is being supported by both the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The latter has thanked Indian authorities for their cooperation and noted that the current report does not recommend immediate action for operators of Boeing 787 aircraft or GEnx engines.
The AAIB’s preliminary findings offer no final conclusions but raise critical operational and procedural questions that are likely to dominate the next phase of inquiry. Both the cockpit’s coordination and the aircraft’s design systems are now under scrutiny.
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