On June 12, 2025, a routine flight from Ahmedabad to London turned into one of the deadliest aviation disasters in a decade. Air India Flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed just moments after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, claiming 260 lives and leaving a community in mourning .
The flight carried 230 passengers and 12 crew members, including 169 Indian nationals and 53 British citizens, as well as passengers from Portugal and Canada . The aircraft crashed into a hostel building at the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College and Civil Hospital, approximately six kilometers from the airport, killing 19 people on the ground in addition to the 241 on board . Only one passenger, Viswashkumar Ramesh from Leicester, survived the catastrophe .
## A Cockpit Mystery
The preliminary report released by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on July 12, 2025, revealed a chilling sequence of events that has baffled investigators and aviation experts alike .
According to the report, just three seconds after the aircraft lifted off the runway, both engine fuel control switches were moved from the "RUN" to the "CUTOFF" position, almost simultaneously . This action starved both engines of fuel, causing an immediate and total loss of thrust at a critical moment when the aircraft was climbing at low altitude.
Cockpit voice recordings captured one pilot asking the other why the fuel had been cut off, with the other pilot responding that he had not done it . The switches were subsequently reset to the "RUN" position, and investigators found evidence that both engines attempted to relight before impact. However, the aircraft had lost too much altitude to recover, crashing into the medical college complex .
The report noted that one of the pilots transmitted "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" in the final moments, though it did not specify which pilot made the distress call or which pilot asked the fateful question about the fuel switches .
## A Mechanically Impossible Error?
The investigation has been complicated by the design of the fuel control switches themselves. Aviation experts have noted that the switches are protected by guard brackets and a stop-lock mechanism that requires pilots to intentionally lift the switch before changing its position, making accidental movement highly unlikely .
US aviation safety expert John Cox explained that a pilot could not bump the switches and move them by mistake, raising the question of how they came to be in the "CUTOFF" position . Another expert, Anthony Brickhouse, posed the central question: "Did they move on their own, or did they move because of the pilots? And if they were moved because of a pilot, why?"
The commanding pilot, 56-year-old Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, was a highly experienced Air India instructor with 15,638 hours of flying experience, while his co-pilot, 32-year-old Clive Kunder, had 3,403 hours . Both pilots were rested and had passed breath tests before takeoff .
## Grieving Families Demand Answers
One month after the crash, families of the victims gathered in Ahmedabad, still seeking answers that the preliminary report could not provide. The trauma of the disaster has left deep scars on the community, particularly those who lost loved ones on the ground.
Ravi Thakor, who lost his two-year-old daughter Aadhya and his mother Sarla Ben in the crash, spoke of the lingering horror: "We have seen the charred bodies with our eyes. We have felt it. I can still smell the stench; it's in my nose. How would it have been for them?"
BS Saiyad lost his brother Inayat, along with Inayat's wife, son, and daughter. After reading the preliminary report, Saiyad expressed frustration with its contradictions: "It seems like the pilot is being blamed. But the way the report is set out, it also looks like the pilot is innocent. If this investigation is to be done transparently, there can't be any prejudice" .
## The Path to Justice
India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau continues to analyze flight data, wreckage, post-mortem reports, and witness statements, with the final report expected to take months to complete . The investigation is examining every aspect of the tragedy, including the possibility of sabotage, though no evidence has yet emerged to support that theory .
The crash has prompted widespread international condolences, with leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressing their sympathy to the people of India . Notably, British Prime Minister Starmer described the crash as "devastating," given the high number of British nationals on board .
Compensation efforts have been set in motion, with Air India releasing interim compensation of Rs. 25 lakh to the next of kin of deceased passengers, and TATA Sons announcing a voluntary ex gratia payment of Rs. 1 crore each to families of the deceased . However, for grieving families, no amount of compensation can fill the void left by the disaster.
As the investigation continues, the aviation community and the families of the victims await answers to the central question: how could such a catastrophic failure occur on a modern aircraft flown by experienced pilots? The final report, expected within a year of the crash, will need to provide clarity on this unprecedented aviation mystery .
