Air India crash probe to offer peek into plane's final moments

A month after India’s worst aviation accident in decades, investigators are preparing to release a preliminary report that may offer the first official insight into what caused the Air India Flight AI171 crash. The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, went down just 30 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing all but one of the 242 people on board and more than 30 on the ground.

Authorities have released little information since the tragedy. The upcoming report is expected to be factual and limited, without assigning blame, as is typical for initial findings. A full investigation could take months as officials work to piece together the complex chain of events.

What is known: A sudden plunge after takeoff

Flight AI171, fully loaded with fuel, lost altitude almost immediately after takeoff and crashed into a nearby medical student hostel, triggering a massive explosion. The pilot managed to issue a mayday alert before the aircraft went down.

Unusual signs: No landing gear, loss of thrust in engines

Videos of the aircraft’s brief flight show what experts call an unusual and alarming sequence: the landing gear was never deployed, and the plane appeared to lose thrust rapidly.

“Everything is normal until they don’t put in the landing gear, and very shortly after the aircraft is losing thrust,” said aerospace analyst and former fighter pilot Bjorn Fehrm.

Most concerning is that both engines appear to have lost power simultaneously, which is extremely rare. A bird strike or single-engine failure typically shows visible signs—like smoke or a yaw—but none were observed.

“That’s improbable like hell,” Fehrm added.

Probe focuses on cockpit controls

Authorities have recovered both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, and their contents have been extracted. Investigators are now focusing on the fuel control switches, which regulate fuel supply to the engines.

Sources familiar with the matter said the switches may have been toggled accidentally or deliberately. The exact timing of the switch movement is still unclear.

Report suggests fuel switches were turned off

According to The Air Current and a report by The Wall Street Journal, preliminary findings suggest the fuel switches were turned off, though whether this was intentional or accidental remains unknown.

“If you move those switches from run to cutoff, those engines will stop running in literally seconds,” said John Cox, a former airline pilot and CEO of Safety Operating Systems.

Could it have been a cockpit error or a checklist procedure?

While deliberate action can’t be ruled out, another possibility is that one engine failed and the pilot mistakenly switched off the healthy engine. This has happened before, such as in a 1980s incident involving a Delta 767, where the pilot accidentally cut off fuel but was able to restart the engines because the aircraft was at a higher altitude.

In a dual engine failure, pilots are trained to cycle the fuel switches—from cutoff back to run—to attempt an engine reset. This procedure is part of an emergency checklist memorized by flight crews.

No mechanical flaws identified yet

So far, investigators have not found evidence of a mechanical or design flaw in the Boeing 787 or GE Aerospace engines. Neither Boeing, GE, nor the FAA has issued safety bulletins, which they would typically do if a broader risk was suspected.

Pilot experience under review

As is standard in aviation investigations, authorities are also reviewing the backgrounds and experience of the crew. The flight was commanded by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal (8,200 flight hours) and First Officer Clive Kunder (1,100 hours), according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

Ram air turbine deployment supports dual engine failure theory

One key indicator supporting the dual-engine failure theory is the reported deployment of the ram air turbine, an emergency backup power source that only activates when both engines fail.

Experts say the crew likely didn’t have enough altitude or time to restart the engines before impact.

Next steps: Investigators face long, complex probe

While the preliminary report will shed some light, many questions remain. Aviation accidents are often caused by a combination of human, mechanical, and systemic factors, and authorities will continue to examine every detail in the coming months.

Indian aviation officials, Boeing, and GE have all declined to comment as the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) leads the ongoing probe.