New Delhi: The Union Civil Aviation Ministry has urged the public not to jump to conclusions over the causes of the tragic Air India Flight AI-171 crash, following the release of a preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). The Ministry stressed that the investigation is ongoing and final conclusions have not yet been reached.
Flight AI-171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner en route to London from Ahmedabad, crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12, killing all 260 people on board. The AAIB’s initial report points to a sudden loss of thrust in both engines, traced to the unexpected movement of the engine fuel control switches from RUN to CUTOFF. This occurred within moments of liftoff, leading to a complete loss of power.
According to the report, audio from the cockpit captured one of the pilots asking the other, “Why did you cut off the fuel?”, to which the second pilot responded, “I did not.” The exchange has raised concerns over potential human error or system malfunction, but investigators have yet to determine whether the switches were moved manually, accidentally, or due to a technical anomaly.
Importantly, the AAIB report notes that there were no signs of sabotage, bird strike, or fuel contamination. No mechanical failures in the engines or fuel systems have been confirmed so far. The report indicates that the flight crew attempted to restart the engines, but the aircraft could not gain altitude and ultimately crashed into a field near Nadiad.
Report highlights key issue flagged by the US Federal Aviation Administration in 2018 on Boeing 737 jets
The preliminary probe report also references a 2018 advisory issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which warned of possible issues with fuel control switch locking mechanisms—though that bulletin applied to Boeing 737 aircraft and was non-mandatory. Air India reportedly did not take further action at the time, as the advisory did not apply directly to the Dreamliner fleet.
In December 2018, the US aviation regulator issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB), mentioning that fuel control switches on some Boeing 737 aircraft were installed with the locking feature disengaged, reported India Today.
The same switch design is reportedly used in Boeing 787-8 jets, including the aircraft that crashed. Since the bulletin by the FAA was advisory and not mandatory, Air India did not perform the recommended inspections, India Today claimed.
However, government officials have emphasized that attributing the crash to any single factor at this stage would be premature. “This is not the final report,” a senior aviation official said, adding that international experts from Boeing, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the FAA, and engine manufacturer GE are participating in the probe.
Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu reiterated that all necessary steps will be taken to ensure accountability and improve safety, but cautioned against speculation while the investigation is in progress. The AAIB is continuing a detailed analysis of the black box data, and a full report is expected in the coming month
