On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner, catastrophically crashed seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad International Airport, en route to London Gatwick. Of the 242 people onboard, only one survived; 241 passengers and crew, along with 19 bystanders on the ground, lost their lives when the jet smashed into a medical college hostel—a tragedy marking India’s worst air disaster in nearly three decades.

According to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) preliminary report released July 8, engine fuel control switches were discovered in the “CUTOFF” position within three seconds of liftoff, abruptly severing thrust to both engines. Recorded data shows that the switches were later manually moved back toward “RUN,” temporarily restarting the engines. However, the power recovery was insufficient to regain height, and the aircraft plummeted into the building roughly 30 seconds after takeoff.

The cockpit voice recorder captured a tense exchange: one pilot hears the fuel cutoff and asks the other, “Why did you cut off?” The reply came, “I didn’t do it.” Crucially, the AAIB has not assigned blame yet; engineers note that fuel cutoff levers feature a guard and pull-up safety, making accidental activation unlikely.

Further scrutiny focused on a 2018 FAA bulletin, which flagged similar switches in Boeing 737s lacking proper lock mechanisms. Though not deemed unsafe at the time, the alert prompted ongoing industry attention. The AAIB found no evidence that Air India had implemented optional inspections on the Dreamliner—though Boeing and the FAA have reaffirmed the switches remain safe.

This unexplained fuel cutoff has sparked alarm and grief among victims’ families and aviation unions, some accusing investigators of creating a cover-up or unfairly targeting the pilots—especially as both were highly experienced: 56-year-old Captain Sumeet Sabharwal (15,600+ hours) and 32-year-old co-pilot Clive Kunder (3,400+ hours) .

As the probe continues, India’s Civil Aviation Ministry has requested patience, emphasizing the final AAIB report – expected in several months – before drawing conclusions. In the interim, Boeing promises full cooperation, while families and unions call for transparency and accountability to prevent similar tragedies.