In the aftermath of the tragic Air India Flight (AI171) crash, which killed 260 people including those on the ground, India’s Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released a 15-page preliminary report. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed just moments after take-off from Ahmedabad, en route to London, sparking global shock and urgent demands for answers.
According to the AAIB, both engine fuel cut-off switches were moved seconds after takeoff—essentially starving the engines of fuel. Although the engines were restarted mid-air, the timing proved fatal. One chilling line in the report suggests that one pilot asked the other, “Why did you cut off?”—only to be met with denial.
Aviation experts quickly raised red flags. These switches are designed with locking mechanisms to prevent accidental movement. So how did both get flipped? Why didn’t the report identify which pilot spoke? And why isn’t the cockpit voice recorder transcript included?
Critics argue that the report leaves out key details—whether intentionally or due to early-stage limitations. And while the AAIB met the 30-day deadline required by international protocols, insiders feel the report was more about box-ticking than truth-finding.
Pilots Push Back
The incomplete nature of the AI171 crash report has given rise to online speculation and media whispers suggesting deliberate action by one of the pilots. But India’s pilot community isn’t having it.
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The Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) issued a fiery statement condemning such speculation. “Throwing around words like pilot suicide without verified evidence is reckless and deeply insensitive,” the association warned. Air India’s CEO, Campbell Wilson, echoed the sentiment, urging staff not to leap to conclusions without facts.
Aviation insiders—including former investigators and engineers—agree that too much is being left unsaid. “It’s a selective narrative,” said one source. The missing cockpit voice transcript would clarify the timeline and tone of events in the cockpit. Was it panic? Was it confusion? Or something more sinister?
Bjorn Fehrm, an analyst at Leeham Company, didn’t mince words: “This is totally unacceptable. We’re being fed what they want us to know—not what actually happened.”
The takeaway? Without a transparent and complete release of data, all theories remain just that—theories.
Old FAA Warning Adds to Confusion
Adding fuel to the fire (no pun intended), the report references a 2018 FAA safety bulletin about locking issues with fuel cut-off switches in certain Boeing models. The bulletin warned that some switches were being installed with disengaged locking mechanisms—potentially allowing accidental shut-offs.
However, even this angle is murky. The FAA clarified again after the crash that the issue did not present a safety risk significant enough to mandate immediate corrections. Moreover, the Dreamliner’s throttle module—including the switches—had been replaced twice, the last time two years before the accident.
So why include the FAA bulletin at all? According to Fehrm, “It’s a red herring. Totally irrelevant unless the switches had a verified fault.”
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has now ordered new inspections on all aircraft with similar components by July 21, but for many aviation experts, that feels like a reactive PR move rather than a preventive safety measure.
Final Verdict on AI171 May Take Years
So, where does this leave us? The preliminary report has stirred more questions than answers. Investigators now face pressure to release the cockpit voice recording, identify the pilot actions with clarity, and determine whether mechanical failure or human error was to blame.
According to international standards, a final report must be issued within a year, but experts say it could take longer—much longer. And while families mourn and aviation circles debate, the truth behind the AI171 crash remains frustratingly out of reach.
Until then, speculation will swirl, trust in the system will wobble, and all eyes will stay fixed on what India’s investigators do next.
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