Air India Flight 171 Investigation Reveals Fuel Switch Mystery as Speculation Grows

bbc.com/news/articles/cn9yw0rljwvo

Revised Article

The preliminary investigation into Air India Flight 171, which crashed on June 12, 2025, killing 260 people, has revealed that both fuel control switches moved to the 'cut-off' position seconds after takeoff, shutting down the engines. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad just thirty seconds after departure, marking the first fatal accident involving this aircraft type and ending its 14-year safety record.

Cockpit voice recordings captured one pilot asking why the other 'cut-off' the fuel, with the response that they didn't do it. The recording doesn't identify which pilot said what, creating uncertainty about the sequence of events. At takeoff, First Officer Clive Kundar was flying while Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was monitoring. The switches were returned to normal position, triggering automatic engine restart, but the aircraft crashed before full power could be restored.

International media reports have speculated about pilot involvement, particularly focusing on the senior captain. However, India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and the US National Transportation Safety Board have criticized these reports as 'premature and speculative.' Indian pilot associations have condemned the rush to blame crew members, calling it 'reckless' and 'deeply insensitive' while the investigation continues.

Aviation experts emphasize multiple possibilities remain under investigation. While evidence suggests the switches were manually operated, technical malfunctions in the FADEC system could theoretically cause automatic shutdown, though this seems less likely given the cockpit conversation timing. The investigation must also consider whether any action was deliberate, accidental, or the result of confusion during a critical flight phase.

The final investigation report, expected within a year, will include complete cockpit voice transcripts with speaker identification and detailed engine data analysis. Only one passenger survived the crash - a British citizen who escaped through an emergency exit. The tragedy has prompted renewed scrutiny of Air India's maintenance practices and Boeing's safety procedures, while investigators stress the need for patience and restraint in drawing conclusions about this complex aviation disaster.

Missing Context & Misinformation 4

  • Air India Flight 171 crashed on June 12, 2025, at 13:39 IST into the boys hostel of B.J Medical College in Ahmedabad, thirty seconds after takeoff. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was operating a flight from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick when it crashed, killing 241 of 242 people aboard and 19 on the ground.
  • The aircraft involved was VT-ANB, a Boeing 787-8 that first flew in 2013 and was delivered new to Air India in January 2014. A maintenance check on May 4, 2025 found no major problems, though later DGCA inspections revealed Air India had not addressed some minor issues on its 787 fleet, including fuel pump problems.
  • This was the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, ending the aircraft type's 14-year safety record. The crash has renewed scrutiny of Boeing's manufacturing practices and safety procedures.
  • Only one person survived the crash - Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British citizen in seat 11A near an emergency exit. He escaped with minor injuries including burns to his left hand and was released from hospital after five days.
  • The FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) system mentioned as a possible cause is designed to prevent exactly this type of fuel cutoff scenario. Modern aircraft systems have multiple safeguards against accidental engine shutdown during critical flight phases like takeoff.

Disinformation & Lies 2

  • Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was 55 years old, not 56 as stated in the article, and First Officer Clive Kundar was 34, not 32.
  • The crash occurred in June 2025, but the article refers to it as 'last month's crash' when discussing July reports, creating timeline confusion.

Bias 3

The article shows some bias through sensationalized language like 'haunts investigators' and 'uneasy wait for answers that may never even fully emerge,' which creates unnecessary drama. However, this bias is largely fair and useful - it appropriately conveys the gravity of a 260-death aviation disaster and the frustration with premature media speculation. The article's critical tone toward speculative media coverage is warranted given the harm such speculation can cause to ongoing investigations. The emotional language helps readers understand why investigators are concerned about media leaks and why restraint is needed. The bias serves the valuable purpose of emphasizing the complexity of aviation investigations and the dangers of rushing to judgment.