The tragic crash of Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, last month in Ahmedabad, which claimed a staggering 260 lives, continues to unravel with disturbing new revelations. While initial reports pointed to a sudden engine shutdown, the latest findings from black box recordings have dramatically shifted the focus to the critical actions of the flight's senior pilot in the moments leading up to the disaster. This development has sparked intense debate within aviation circles and among the grieving public.
The Catastrophic Incident: A Flight Cut Short
On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171, bound for London Gatwick, lifted off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. The flight was carrying 241 passengers and 12 crew members, all embarking on what should have been a routine international journey. However, the flight lasted a mere 32 seconds.
Shortly after takeoff, disaster struck. A preliminary report from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) initially indicated that both of the Dreamliner's engines abruptly ceased functioning in quick succession. This sudden and catastrophic loss of power led to an immediate and rapid descent. The aircraft ultimately crashed into the BJ Medical College Hostel, located approximately 1.85 kilometers from the runway, devastating the building and its surroundings. The impact tragically claimed the lives of all 241 people on board the aircraft (with later reports clarifying one passenger survived the initial impact but died shortly after) and an additional 19 individuals on the ground. The sole survivor from the plane was British national Vishwaskumar Ramesh, who miraculously survived the crash and even managed to call his father from the wreckage. The overall death toll stands at 260.
This incident marked the first fatal accident and hull loss involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since the series entered service in 2011, and the deadliest aviation accident in India since the 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision.
Black Box Secrets: A Shocking Conversation
The ongoing investigation has now delved deeper into the cockpit, with alarming details emerging from the aircraft's black box audio recording of the final conversation between the two pilots. The recording reportedly indicates that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the veteran pilot, may have manually moved the switches controlling the flow of fuel to the plane’s engines, effectively cutting them off.
Crucially, the recording captures the plane's First Officer, Clive Kunder, who was reportedly flying the aircraft during takeoff, questioning why the pilot had moved the fuel switches to the cutoff position. Captain Sabharwal's reported response was a denial – he claimed he had not.
The investigation report, however, does not definitively state whether this action by Captain Sabharwal was a deliberate act or an accidental maneuver. This ambiguity is at the heart of the current intense scrutiny. The report further notes that these critical fuel switches were reportedly moved back to the "on" position mere seconds later, which momentarily allowed one engine to restart. Yet, this attempted recovery came tragically too late to avert the impending catastrophe, which occurred just 32 seconds after the aircraft became airborne. A desperate "Mayday, mayday, mayday" distress call was transmitted to air traffic control moments before the fatal impact.
Pilot Groups Voice Reservations: Human Error or Systemic Failure?
In the aftermath of these revelations, two prominent groups representing commercial pilots have voiced strong rejections of any immediate suggestions that human error was the definitive cause of the disaster. Their stance implies a need for caution against premature conclusions and emphasizes the complexity of aviation accidents, which often stem from a combination of factors rather than a single individual's mistake. They point out that fuel control switches have a locking mechanism, making accidental movement unlikely without deliberate action.
While the preliminary report has highlighted the movement of the fuel switches, the ultimate cause of this devastating crash remains under rigorous investigation by the AAIB, with collaboration from Boeing and international aviation experts. The full, comprehensive report, expected by June 2026, will be crucial in providing definitive answers and implementing recommendations to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again. The focus now is not just on what happened in the cockpit, but why, and how to ensure the utmost safety in the skies.
What are your thoughts on the latest revelations regarding the Air India Flight 171 crash? What level of accountability do you think should be placed on pilot actions in such incidents? Share your perspective below.
