Investigation Summary
On 12 June 2025, Air India Flight 171 commenced its takeoff roll from Ahmedabad's runway 23 at 08:07:37 UTC. The aircraft, VT-ANB, lifted off at 08:08:39 UTC. Three seconds after liftoff, the Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR) recorded both fuel control switches transitioning from RUN to CUTOFF one second apart. This starved the GEnx-1B70 engines of fuel, leading to a dual engine flameout. A significant technical controversy exists regarding the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployment; while some data suggests it deployed 8 seconds after liftoff, other reports indicate it deployed within 2 to 4 seconds of the cutoff, which would be unusual for a standard failure sequence. Cockpit Voice Recorder data captured the pilot monitoring questioning the switch movement, which the pilot flying denied. Both switches were returned to RUN, and engine 1 began to recover, but the aircraft lacked altitude to maintain flight. The investigation has become a point of international tension: US investigators from the NTSB and Boeing have leaned toward a theory of deliberate pilot action by the captain, Sumeet Sabharwal, while Indian authorities and pilot unions have strongly criticized this 'pilot suicide' theory, pointing toward potential electrical malfunctions or the 2018 FAA Safety Alert (SAIB NM-18-33) regarding fuel control switch locking failures.
Final Conclusions
The investigation is ongoing. The AAIB preliminary report of 12 July 2025 records both fuel control switches transitioning to CUTOFF seconds after liftoff and a resulting loss of thrust on both engines; it attributes no cause. This event is the first fatal hull loss in the history of the Boeing 787 fleet since its entry into service in 2011.
Photographic Evidence (3)
Video Analysis
Air India Flight 171 Crash Analysis — A detailed look at the tragic crash of Air India 171 in Ahmedabad, the first fatal accident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Sumeet Sabharwal, age 56. Was the pilot monitoring (PM) at the time of the accident.
First Officer
Clive Kunder, age 32. Was the pilot flying (PF) at the time of the accident.
Systems & Failure Modes
Fuel Control Switches
Two switches on the center pedestal that control fuel flow to the engines. Moving these to CUTOFF immediately shuts down the engines. Data shows both moved to CUTOFF just after liftoff.
Ram Air Turbine (RAT)
An emergency power system that deploys automatically upon loss of both engines. CCTV and flight data confirmed the RAT deployed 8 seconds after the engine flameouts.
Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR)
The 787 uses combined units for FDR and CVR. The front EAFR was recovered and provided the primary data for the preliminary report.
Interesting Facts
- 01First fatal accident and hull loss involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
- 02The crash resulted in 260 total fatalities: 241 on board and 19 on the ground.
- 03One passenger, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, survived the accident.
- 04The aircraft involved, VT-ANB, was one of two flights in the immediate vicinity of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 when it was shot down over Ukraine in 2014.
- 05Flight recorders indicated both fuel control switches were moved to the CUTOFF position one second apart, three seconds after liftoff.
- 06Air India training captains were unable to replicate a dual-engine flameout through electrical failure in simulator tests.
- 07Air India had not performed the advisory inspection suggested by FAA SAIB NM-18-33 regarding fuel control switch locking.
Safety Actions & Advisories
DGCA Operational Review
Source ↗The Indian DGCA mandated a review of all long-haul takeoff performance calculations and additional maintenance inspections for Air India's 787 fleet, specifically targeting fuel-parameter monitoring and electronic engine control systems.
FAA SAIB NM-18-33 Review
Source ↗Investigators highlighted a 2018 Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin regarding the potential for the fuel control switch to be inadvertently moved if the locking feature is not functioning correctly.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Pilot Suicide vs. Mechanical Failure
Reference ↗US investigators and Boeing officials have suggested the captain deliberately moved the fuel switches to CUTOFF. This is contested by the Indian AAIB, the Supreme Court of India, and pilot unions, who argue that the investigation should focus on potential electrical failures or switch locking defects.
RAT Deployment Timing
Reference ↗There is a dispute over the timing of the Ram Air Turbine deployment. A deployment within 2-4 seconds of engine failure (as suggested by some data) would be inconsistent with the 787's standard logic, potentially pointing to a broader electrical system anomaly.
Location
ACCIDENT SITE · Coordinates taken from the wikipedia geotag.