June 12, 2025… This date became one of the biggest tragedies in Indian aviation history. When the Air India flight took off from Ahmedabad airport, no one knew that 241 lives would be lost within minutes.
Ahmedabad: June 12, 2025, marked another dark day in the history of Indian civil aviation when Air India Flight 171 crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport. In this horrific accident, 241 passengers lost their lives. But now, a month has passed since the accident, and neither an official statement has been issued regarding the actual causes of the crash, nor has decisive information emerged from the black box data.
Flight Investigation Still Incomplete, No Major Clues from Black Box
According to a report by The Air Current, an aviation analysis company based in Seattle, investigators are now focusing on the fuel control switch. These switches control the fuel supply to both engines of the aircraft, and pilots use them in any emergency situation. However, it could not be determined from the black box whether a loss of thrust was recorded before the accident. Also, it is not clear whether this deficiency was the result of human error, technical malfunction, or a deliberate action.
Why is the Fuel Switch the Focus of Investigation?
According to a senior Boeing 787 Commander, the fuel control switch is a very sensitive and important part of the system. It has two positions—Run and Cutoff. When the switch goes into "Cutoff" mode, the engine stops receiving fuel, which stops both thrust and power supply. This can also lead to failure of cockpit instruments.
The fuel switch is not used during normal flight, but is only used in emergency situations—such as when both engines fail.
Commander's Question: Why Was the Switch Off?
In a conversation with TOI, the commander said that pilots are trained in such situations to cool the engine slowly, rather than shutting it down abruptly. He also added that if both engines fail, a one-second interval is maintained after the fuel cutoff so that the Auxiliary Systems can be activated. In this, a small wind turbine provides backup power.
He also raised the question, "If the switch was off, then why?" Was it done intentionally, or by mistake? This is still unanswered. Another big question is why was the landing gear down at the time of the accident? Doing so is necessary when the aircraft is preparing for landing, but doing so in the air can cause too much drag (resistance), which can destabilize the aircraft. If this was an emergency situation, did keeping the gear down increase the chances of a crash? Investigation agencies are also scrutinizing these aspects closely.
Design Flaw or Human Error?
According to reports so far, no technical flaw has been found in either Boeing Aircraft Design or GE Aerospace Engines. That is why the entire focus of the accident has now shifted to pilot action or systems mismanagement. In recent years, Boeing has faced allegations of poor manufacturing, but nothing of the sort has emerged in this case yet.
