AAIB Report On Air India Crash: 7 Key Takeaways You Should Know

Air India flight AI171's crash shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, has left investigators grappling with unanswered questions. The preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) reveals that the Boeing 787 8 experienced a sudden dual engine shutdown seconds after liftoff, resulting in the deaths of 260 people, including 241 onboard and 19 on the ground. Despite the crew's attempts to restart the engines and issue a distress call, the aircraft was unable to regain thrust before crashing. The cause behind the abrupt movement of the engine fuel control switches remains unclear, and confusion in the cockpit was evident in the pilots' final exchange.

While the aircraft met all maintenance and airworthiness requirements, a 2018 FAA advisory that warned of potential disengagement in the fuel control switch locking system was not acted upon by Air India, as it was not mandatory. The AAIB report does not recommend any immediate action for Boeing 787 8 or GE GEnx 1B engine operators at this stage. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to examine data, wreckage, and maintenance logs.

Key Points:

• The crash killed 260 people - 241 onboard and 19 on the ground.
• The aircraft had 54,200 kg of fuel and a takeoff weight of 213,401 kg, both within limits.
• Both engine fuel control switches moved from "RUN" to "CUTOFF" within one second after takeoff.
• Pilots were heard saying, "Why did you cut off?" and "I did not do so," indicating confusion.
• A "Mayday" call was sent at 13:09:05 IST, but no ATC response came before the crash.
• Maintenance was compliant; the throttle module was replaced in 2019 and 2023.
• Air India did not perform the 2018 FAA-advised inspection on fuel switch locking.