Preliminary Report Expected Soon on India’s Worst Aviation Disaster in Decades : Air India Boeing 787 Ahmedabad crash

One month after India’s deadliest aviation disaster in years, authorities are preparing to release a preliminary crash report, offering the first official insights into what caused the tragic Air India accident. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed just 30 seconds after takeoff on June 12, killing nearly all 242 people on board and over 30 on the ground in Ahmedabad.

Initial Report Likely to Be Factual, Not Conclusive

So far, investigators have disclosed few details, and the initial report is expected to be factual rather than conclusive. Experts caution that assigning blame or determining exact causes is premature, as the ongoing investigation by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is still piecing together the events.

The Crash: A Catastrophic Descent

What’s confirmed is that the Dreamliner, fully fueled, rapidly lost altitude and crashed into a student hostel, where it exploded. The tragedy left only one survivor among passengers and claimed the lives of many on the ground. The pilot managed to issue a single mayday alert before Flight AI 171 went down.

Video Footage and Expert Analysis

Videos circulating online show the aircraft’s takeoff appeared normal until it failed to retract its landing gear. According to Bjorn Fehrm, a former fighter pilot and aerospace analyst, the footage also reveals a sudden loss of thrust, suggesting both engines failed nearly simultaneously.

“That kind of dual engine failure is extremely rare—almost unimaginable,” Fehrm said.

Typically, aircraft like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner can continue takeoff with just one engine. But in this case, there were no signs of bird strikes or engine smoke, and no yaw, which would occur if only one engine failed.

Fuel Switches Under Scrutiny

Although officials have avoided public speculation, sources close to the investigation indicate that the fuel control switches inside the cockpit are a key area of focus. These switches, used to control the fuel supply to GE Aerospace engines, may have been toggled—either intentionally or accidentally—before the crash.

The Wall Street Journal reported that preliminary data suggests the fuel switches were turned off, though it remains unclear whether this was pilot error or part of a response to a separate malfunction.

John Cox, CEO of Safety Operating Systems and a former airline pilot, explained:

“Switching the fuel control levers to cutoff would shut down the engines in seconds.”

Historical Parallels and Possible Scenarios

While rare, there is precedent. In the 1980s, a Delta Air Lines pilot accidentally cut off both engines mid-flight, but managed a restart due to higher altitude. In contrast, Flight AI 171 was at low altitude and slow speed, leaving no time to restart the engines.

Experts say pilots are trained to cycle the fuel switches to reset the engines during emergencies. However, doing so at low altitude—as was the case in Ahmedabad—offers almost no margin for recovery.

What the Data Recorders Reveal

The investigation has successfully recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder. The analysis is ongoing, and while no mechanical design flaws have been identified so far, authorities are not ruling out other contributing factors, including pilot experience and crew response.

The aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal (8,200 flight hours) and First Officer Clive Kunder (1,100 hours), according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

No Immediate Safety Notices

Notably, neither Boeing, GE Aerospace, nor the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued any safety bulletins or operational advisories—an indication that no systemic issue has yet been found with the 787 Dreamliner or its engines.

Conclusion: A Complex Puzzle Still Unfolding