Rare Crash in Ahmedabad Raises Troubling Questions
On June 12, 2025, what started as a routine departure from Ahmedabad turned into a nightmare just seconds after takeoff. Air India Flight 171—a modern Boeing 787-8 carrying 242 passengers and crew—slammed into a building, bringing a booming city's routine to a standstill. All eyes have now turned to the crew’s actions in the cockpit, especially around the fuel system, as officials race to understand what brought down an aircraft known for its reliability.
The Air India Flight 171 disaster unfolded with terrifying speed—only 32 seconds after takeoff, both engines lost power almost simultaneously. Crash investigators retrieved the black boxes, revealing a tense exchange between pilots. In the final moments, the junior co-pilot questioned the captain's decision to shut off the engine fuel switches. Unlike many cockpit switches, these have built-in safety barriers: they’re protected by small metal guards, and to actually flip them, you have to lift a spring-loaded lock. Investigators are puzzling over whether this action was accidental, a sign of confusion, or something much worse.
Investigators Zero In on the Cockpit
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the charge, joined by the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The probe is now focused on analyzing both the technical flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder. These devices do more than just capture numbers and voices—they might help pinpoint exactly who reached for those switches, and when. Forensic audio experts are dissecting the sound signatures to match hands-on-actions with specific pilots, thanks to modern cockpit microphones that record every click and word.
While early speculation leans towards a ‘human factor,’ experts caution patience. The report released so far lays out facts—engine cutoff, cockpit conversation, and sequence of actions—but avoids blame or safety recommendations. Aerospace engineers point out that electrical or mechanical faults, though rare, can’t be ruled out until flight data is fully analyzed. Many commercial pilots agree that reaching for the guarded fuel switches mid-climb would be a highly unusual, even suspicious, move unless a dire emergency was in play.
With the public pressing for answers, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) quickly ordered fresh inspections for all Boeing 787s in India’s flag carrier fleet. Technicians are checking for possible design quirks or system glitches that could compromise cockpit safety, even as training records and recent maintenance logs for the ill-fated jet are pored over for clues.
This crash has jolted the aviation community at home and abroad—with international agencies moving fast to learn whether it was human error, systemic oversight, or a rare technical issue. For passengers and families left waiting for results, one thing is clear: every detail from that short flight will be dissected, from the clicks of metal switches to every snippet of cockpit banter, as investigators chase answers in a tragedy that still feels unfathomable mere seconds after takeoff.