Air India Boeing 787 Aircraft Incident 2025 Report

Air India Boeing 787 Aircraft Incident 2025 Report

Why in News? 

Recently, a preliminary investigation from India’s AAIB revealed that the fuel‑cutoff switches on an Air India Boeing 787 flipped to “off” just seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025 starving both engines and causing a catastrophic loss of thrust.

Air India Boeing 787 Aircraft Incident 2025 Report

• Investigating Authority: The primary agency handling the investigation is India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

• Due to the international nature of the aircraft and its components, the AAIB is working in coordination with multiple global aviation safety agencies. 

• These include the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) from the United States, along with representatives from Boeing, GE Aviation, and regulatory authorities from Portugal, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

• Incident Overview: Flight AI171, a Tata Group-operated Air India aircraft, departed Ahmedabad at 08:08 UTC. Just moments after takeoff, both engines lost thrust when their fuel cutoff switches were manually moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF.” Despite immediate relight attempts, the engines failed to regain enough thrust, and the aircraft crashed into a nearby residential area, resulting in the loss of 260 lives—including 241 of the 242 people onboard and 19 on the ground. The crash site, located near BJ Medical College, was heavily damaged.

• Aircraft Details: The crashed aircraft was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, registered as VT-ANB, and built in 2013. 

• It was equipped with GEnx-1B engines manufactured by GE. Maintenance logs revealed that the aircraft had undergone regular checks, with no active faults reported regarding the fuel control switch systems. 

• At the time of the crash, the plane had five MEL (Minimum Equipment List) items—four in Category C and one in Category A, none of which affected critical systems. 

• Crew Information: The Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was 56 years old and held an ATPL license with over 15,000 total flying hours, including 8,500 hours on Boeing 787 aircraft. The first officer Clive Kunder, aged 32, had about 3,400 flight hours, including 1,128 hours on the same aircraft type. Both pilots were medically fit and had no flight activity in the 24 hours before the crash. 

• Cockpit Voice and Flight Data Recorder: Data from the Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFRs) uncovered crucial moments. Seconds after takeoff, one pilot was recorded asking, “Why did you cut off?”, to which the other pilot responded in denial. These conversations hint at an unintentional act inside the cockpit. 

• The co-pilot was handling the flight while the captain monitored systems. 

• Both engines attempted to restart within ten seconds of shutdown, with one showing partial recovery. 

• The thrust levels remained insufficient, and altitude could not be maintained. 

• ATC Communication: Communication records with Ahmedabad Air Traffic Control (ATC) showed normal procedures up until the crash. 

• The aircraft requested pushback at 07:43 UTC and received takeoff clearance by 08:07 UTC. 

• Within two minutes of takeoff, at 08:09:05 UTC, a MAYDAY distress signal was transmitted. 

• After that, all communication ceased. The Ram Air Turbine (RAT) was deployed automatically, indicating a severe power loss, while the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) began startup. 

• Though relight igniters were functioning, thrust restoration failed.

• Technical System: The engines and fuel systems were recovered and sent for further inspection. 

• Initial analysis confirmed no mechanical failures, software errors, or hydraulic issues in the engine or throttle mechanisms. 

• The fuel cutoff switches were found to have been manually activated, despite no need to do so during takeoff. 

• CCTV footage dismissed earlier assumptions of a bird strike, as no such activity was visible in the flight path. 

• Also, weather conditions were stable, eliminating environmental influence.

• Ground Impact: The aircraft wreckage was strewn across a 1,000 x 400 feet area. Impacted buildings included college hostels and residential complexes. 

• The tail and right landing gear lodged into one building, while Engine 1 separated after hitting a rooftop tank. Engine 2 embedded into another building at ground level. 

• The vertical stabilizer was discovered 200 feet from the main fuselage. 

• Fire damage was severe. Surprisingly, the Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) did not activate, which investigators are now examining as a procedural or technical gap.

Next Steps by AAIB in this Crash Investigation

• Forensic Examination: The AAIB will now conduct a deep forensic study of all flight deck controls, with a focus on the fuel cutoff switch mechanism. Investigators aim to identify whether the switches were triggered accidentally, due to design flaw, or through a procedural misstep. Every component in the cockpit will be tested.

• Human Factors: The AAIB has initiated a dedicated human factors review panel. This team will study the cognitive and physical conditions of the captain and first officer, both of whom had significant hours on the Boeing 787 platform. This phase will also consider psychological factors.
• Regulatory Reforms: Depending on final conclusions, the AAIB could recommend new airworthiness directives, crew resource management updates, or design modifications for the 787 series. These could be submitted to India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for approval and global forwarding to ICAO.