Deadly Air India Crash: Preliminary Report Reveals Pilot-Initiated Fuel Cut-Off Moments After Take-Off

AAIB report reveals fuel switches were manually turned off moments after take-off, sparking questions over pilot actions in India’s deadliest crash in a decade
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Ahmedabad | July 12, 2025 — India’s worst aviation tragedy in over a decade is raising tough questions as a preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) reveals a stunning revelation: the fuel supply to the Air India Dreamliner was manually cut off just 3 seconds after take-off.

On June 12, Air India Flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, departed from Ahmedabad route to London with 242 people onboard. But within 32 seconds of take-off, the aircraft plummeted into a residential area, erupting in flames and killing nearly everyone on board — only one survivor emerged, with 19 additional deaths on the ground.

According to AAIB’s findings:

  • Fuel control switches were manually flipped to ‘cut-off’ just 3 seconds after take-off, cutting off power to the engines.
  • A ram air turbine deployed moments later, indicating complete engine power loss.
  • The switches were turned back on, but too late to prevent the crash.
  • Cockpit voice recordings reveal one pilot asked the other, “Why did you cut off the fuel?” — to which the other replied, “I did not.”

 Aviation Experts Say: “This Was No Accident”

Experts stress that fuel switches have intentional locking mechanisms that prevent accidental activation.

“You can’t just bump these switches — it requires a deliberate action,” said aviation analyst Keith Tonkin.

Captain Steve Cornell, a Boeing 737 pilot, confirmed the autopilot has no control over fuel switches, and their cutoff is only protocol during engine fire or post-landing — never mid-takeoff.

Who Were the Pilots?

  • Captain Sumeet Sabharwal (56): Over 15,638 flight hours, Air India instructor
  • First Officer Clive Kunder (32): Logged 3,403 flight hours
  • Both had flown nearly 9,000 combined hours on the 787
  • Pre-flight checks showed the crew was fit and well-rested

Other Key Findings:

  • No bird strike or engine fire was detected
  • Weight was within safe limits — 5,000 kg below max take-off weight
  • No hazardous cargo was onboard
  • Two hours of black box audio is under review

In a brief statement on X (formerly Twitter), Air India acknowledged the report and stated it is cooperating fully with investigators, but offered no further comments until the final report is released.

What’s Next?

  • Final report expected within one year
  • Currently, no safety recommendations have been issued for Boeing 787 or GEnx-1B engine operators
  • Aviation professionals say “more questions than answers remain”

“Until we know why the switches were flipped, aviation safety remains in the dark,” Captain Cornell stated.

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