US assessment indicates pilot error in deadliest Indian aviation disaster in a decade
According to the flight recorder, a few seconds after takeoff, switches for both engines transitioned to 'CUTOFF' from 'RUN' one after another with a time gap of one second
Updated On : 18 Jul 2025 | 7:24 AM ISTThe minister's remarks come in the wake of a Wall Street Journal report on the Air India AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad
Updated On : 18 Jul 2025 | 12:00 AM ISTaccording to the Wall Street Journal report, the first officer expressed surprise that the fuel switches were off and then panicked, while the captain seemed to remain calm
Updated On : 17 Jul 2025 | 11:17 PM ISTAAIB chief calls foreign reports on the AI171 crash speculative and irresponsible, urging public to await the final report and avoid undermining the probe's integrity
A veteran pilot and aviation consultant has suggested that investigators should also focus on a possible fault in flight AI171's stabilizer, which he believes could have created conditions for the plane's crash, albeit due to an unintended mistake by the pilot. Air India flight 171, which crashed moments after taking off from Ahmedabad, killing 241 on board and 19 on the ground, had arrived from Delhi before its onward journey to London Gatwick on June 12. The crew reported a fault with the stabilizer to engineers in Ahmedabad who fixed it, according to a preliminary report into the investigation released on July 12. Aviation expert Captain Ehsan Khalid told PTI that investigators should also check the flight data recorder for stabilizer inputs data, in case it was not fixed properly and created conditions for the crash during the takeoff roll of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The stabilizer is part of the aircraft's tail and helps in pitching up and down its nose on command from the
A veteran pilot and aviation consultant has suggested that investigators should also focus on a possible fault in flight AI171's stabilizer, which he believes could have created conditions for the plane's crash, albeit due to an unintended mistake by the pilot. Air India flight 171, which crashed moments after taking off from Ahmedabad, killing 241 on board and 19 on the ground, had arrived from Delhi before its onward journey to London Gatwick on June 12. The crew reported a fault with the stabilizer to engineers in Ahmedabad who fixed it, according to a preliminary report into the investigation released on July 12. Aviation expert Capt Ehsan Khalid told PTI that investigators should also check the flight data recorder for stabilizer inputs data, in case it was not fixed properly and created conditions for the crash during the takeoff roll of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The stabilizer is part of the aircraft's tail and helps in pitching up and down its nose on command from the ...
Pilots' grouping ALPA-India on Thursday said the crew of the crashed AI 171 flight made every possible effort to protect the passengers onboard and they deserve respect, not unfounded character judgements. The Air Line Pilots' Association - India (ALPA India) has been demanding a transparent probe into the crash that killed 260 people on June 12. Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft enroute from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed into a building soon after take off and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) came out with its preliminary report into the accident on July 12. "Pilots are trained professionals who carry the responsibility of hundreds of lives with dedication and dignity. "The crew of AI 171 made every possible effort -- till their very last breath -- to protect the passengers on board and minimize harm on the ground. They deserve respect, not unfounded character judgments," ALPA India said in a statement. While the preliminary report does not give any conclus
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) on Thursday asked the government to reassess possible technical misinterpretation or mechanical faults in Air India's Boeing 787-8 plane that crashed last month and sought inclusion of subject matter experts in the probe. Flagging concerns about Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) preliminary report into the crash that killed 260 people on June 12, the federation said the report failed to sufficiently consider or acknowledge two plausible and previously documented technical scenarios, either of which could have triggered an automated shutdown of both engines. FIP has written a letter to the civil aviation ministry raising various concerns related to the crash probe and the preliminary report, according to a source. While appreciating the timely release of the preliminary findings, the federation also said the initial report appears to infer or suggest the possibility of pilot error, without presenting any conclusive evidence or ...
According to US aviation expert Mary Schiavo, a 2019 All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight in Japan experienced a similar issue, with the fuel switch transitioning on its own during final approach, without
The first officer who was flying the Boeing 787 Dreamliner asked the other captain, who was more experienced, why he moved the switches to the 'cutoff' position after it climbed off the runway
The airlines' body praised the Indian government and AAIB for releasing a detailed and timely preliminary report on the Air India crash, saying it provided more insight than expected
Air India on Wednesday completed the inspection of the locking mechanism of fuel control switches in its Boeing 787 planes and did not find any issues, according to an airline official. On Monday, aviation watchdog DGCA directed airlines to inspect the fuel switch locking system in their Boeing 787 and 737 planes against the backdrop of AAIB's preliminary report stating that fuel switches were cut off before the Air India plane crash that killed 260 people last month. "Over the weekend, our Engineering team initiated precautionary inspections on the locking mechanism of Fuel Control Switch (FCS) on all our Boeing 787 aircraft. The inspections have been completed and no issues were found," the official said, quoting an internal message sent to Air India pilots. The official also said that all the Boeing 787-8 aircraft have undergone Throttle Control Module (TCM) replacement as per the Boeing maintenance schedule. FCS is part of this module. FCS regulate the flow of fuel into the ...
IATA's William Walsh praises India's detailed preliminary report on AI171 crash, backs cockpit cameras and says Boeing need not act before final recommendations
Advocates for cockpit video cameras say the footage could fill in gaps left by the audio and data recorders, while opponents say concerns about privacy
UK Civil Aviation Authority echoes FAA, says Boeing aircraft pose no safety risk as India and South Korea mandate inspections after AI171 crash findings
Between 2012 and 2025, the AAIB investigated 99 air accidents, 13 of which involved commercial airlines.
A month after Air India crash, DGCA has asked all airlines to inspect Boeing 737 and 787 fuel switches for locking faults
A spokesperson for the South Korean transport ministry said the checks were in line with a 2018 advisory from the FAA, but did not give a timeline for inspections
Asks employees not to be distracted by speculation and sensational headlines, and avoid forming conclusions based on the preliminary report