A 15-page preliminary report has been released a month after the deadly crash of Air India Flight AI171, offering crucial insight into the moments before the tragedy. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) revealed that both engines of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner shut down seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing all 260 onboard.
The flight was en route to London, piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 56, and First Officer Clive Kunder, 32.
Reacting to the report, former Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Captain (retired) Ehsan Khalid came to the pilots’ defense, stating:
“Pilot action 100 per cent right, they tried to revive the engine that is further corroborated with the fact that there was some movement of the fuel cut-off switch.”
The AAIB report disclosed that both fuel cutoff switches were inexplicably flipped from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ nearly simultaneously—within one second of each other—causing the engines to lose thrust. Despite this, the pilots attempted to restart the engines by re-engaging the fuel switches.
The report also included a chilling exchange from the cockpit voice recorder:
“In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so,” the preliminary report stated.
Explaining the mechanics, Captain Khalid told media:
“The fuel cut-off switch is a physical switch, it has to be moved from one position to another, and it has to be moved from that position back. There is not automation involved in it. What automation is involved is the fuel shut-off valve.”
While the exact cause of the switch movement remains unknown, bird strikes and external damage were ruled out.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu urged restraint, saying:
“Do not jump to conclusions.” He praised Indian aviation professionals:
“I truly believe we have the most wonderful workforce in terms of pilots and the crew in the whole world.”
The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA) echoed this sentiment and raised concerns about the probe, saying the investigation was “being driven in a direction presuming the guilt of pilots.”
As the final report is awaited, the preliminary findings underline the complexity of the incident and confirm that both pilots made efforts to save the aircraft before the fatal crash.