A catastrophic mid-air engine shutdown led to the deaths of 260 people when an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12, a preliminary investigation has revealed. The report, released by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), paints a harrowing picture of mechanical failure and human confusion in the moments before the aircraft plummeted to the ground.
The London-bound flight had barely become airborne from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport before it began a fatal descent, crashing into a hostel on the campus of BJ Medical College and Hospital. Among the dead were 242 passengers and crew members, as well as several people on the ground. Only one passenger survived.
According to the AAIB’s preliminary findings, the fuel supply to both engines was cut off mid-air after the cockpit fuel control switches were flipped from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” — an action that starved the engines. The switches, located between the two pilots and guarded by a safety mechanism to prevent accidental use, were flipped one second apart, the report notes.
Shockingly, cockpit voice recordings captured one pilot asking the other why he had initiated the cutoff. The second pilot denied doing so, leaving investigators to determine whether the switches were flipped intentionally, by accident, or due to a mechanical fault.
Though the pilots quickly reversed the switch positions and the engines began the process of restarting, it was too late. As the aircraft lost altitude, emergency systems like the Ram Air Turbine deployed. But seconds after the relight attempt began, the pilot issued a chilling distress call: “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY.”
The control tower’s final contact attempt went unanswered, and moments later the plane slammed into the hostel building, killing both passengers and people on the ground. The crash site was engulfed in flames and debris.
A CNN aviation analyst and former safety inspector, David Soucie, commented that the simultaneous flipping of both fuel switches is “extremely rare,” given the intentional design of the switch mechanisms to avoid accidental shutdowns. “They’re not automatic. They don’t move themselves,” he emphasized, calling the incident deeply troubling.
The crew of the ill-fated flight included a highly experienced 56-year-old captain with more than 15,000 hours of flying time and a 32-year-old first officer with over 3,400 hours. Both had passed all safety and training checks, and initial analysis of the wreckage showed no faults with engine installation or fuel quality.
The plane’s configuration and settings were all found to be appropriate for takeoff, and there was no sign of bird strike, foreign object damage, or dangerous cargo. The takeoff weight was well within safety limits.
Investigators recovered 49 hours of flight data and two hours of cockpit audio from the aircraft’s black boxes. The fuel used was confirmed to meet all safety standards, and no external threats or mechanical anomalies were initially detected.
In the aftermath of the crash, grief and anger have gripped the families of the victims. Naresh Maheswari, who lost his son, called on the investigative authorities to act impartially and hold those responsible accountable. “We want no one else to die due to such carelessness,” he told reporters.
Niraj Patel, the brother-in-law of another victim, echoed the sentiment. “The government must take all necessary precautions. Families are being shattered,” he said.
Air India acknowledged the preliminary report, stating in a post on X that the airline “stands in solidarity with the families and those affected by the AI171 accident.” The company pledged full cooperation with the investigation and ongoing support for victims’ families.
As the final investigation continues, serious questions remain over how a seemingly routine flight with an experienced crew and a technically sound aircraft could end in such horrific tragedy. For now, grieving families and a stunned aviation community are left waiting for definitive answers—and accountability.
