India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released its preliminary report on the June 12, 2025 crash of Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8. The jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground.

Preliminary Air India 787 Crash Report: Fuel Cutoff Switches Flipped Seconds After Takeoff

The AAIB report raises more questions than answers about the cause of the crash.

Key Findings

• Three seconds after liftoff, both engine fuel control switches moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF,” shutting off fuel to both engines (one shut off about one second after the other)
• The backup Ram Air Turbine (RAT) was deployed immediately afterward, indicating a complete loss of primary power.
• Cockpit voice recordings captured one pilot asking, “Why did you cut off fuel?” The other replied, “I did not do so.”
• Both pilots denied intentionally moving the switches, but investigators found no mechanical issue that would explain an automatic shutdown.
• The switches were moved back to “RUN” about 10 seconds later, and one engine showed signs of relight, but it was too late.

What This Means

The AAIB report highlights a stunning moment of confusion in the cockpit at the worst possible time. Moving the fuel control switches is not something that happens by accident: they are protected by a metal stop lock mechanism that must be manually raised in order for the fuel control switch to be shut off.

So far, investigators have not found a technical fault with the aircraft. Boeing and GE remain involved in the investigation, but there is no indication that the engines or systems malfunctioned (we certainly would have seen a safety directive even if there was a hunch this was some sort of Boeing design defect). The U.S. NTSB is assisting, though in what capacity is not clear.

While the report stops short of assigning blame, the evidence suggests human error in the cockpit during takeoff.

The event highlights once again that aviation safety is often less about complex system failure and more about cockpit workload, crew coordination, and human factors.

Looking ahead:

• A final report will explore human factors, cockpit design, and procedural safeguards.
• Switch placement and guarding may be reviewed on 787 aircraft and similar flight decks.
• Airlines may reevaluate how fuel control procedures are taught and reinforced during takeoff emergencies.

CONCLUSION

The preliminary report on Air India Flight AI171 makes one thing disturbingly clear: both engines were mysteriously (dare I say, intentionally?) shut off just seconds after liftoff. There was no time to recover.

At this point, I want to say that this accident does not appear to be a systems failure but a human failure. And it’s a reminder that despite all our technology, aviation safety still depends heavily on what happens inside the cockpit, especially in the first few seconds of flight.

But I can’t say that yet. There’s still some mystery surrounding these fuel switches and how they were turned off. I just hope that whatever happened in the cockpit will become clear, and if corrective action is needed, it will be taken.