Investigators have uncovered a chilling clue in the crash of Air India Flight 171, which killed 260 people in June.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner plunged into a crowded Ahmedabad neighbourhood just 40 seconds after take-off. Now, officials say both engine fuel switches were suddenly turned off — a move normally made after landing.
Cockpit voice recordings captured one pilot asking, “Why did you cut off?” — but the other insisted he hadn’t. It remains unclear who spoke. At the time, the co-pilot was flying and the captain was monitoring.
The switches were returned to normal moments later, but it was already too late. One engine restarted, the other didn’t recover in time. The aircraft climbed to just 625 feet before crashing.
Experts are baffled. These fuel switches are protected by lock mechanisms designed to prevent accidental use. A Canadian investigator said pulling both by mistake with one hand is “almost impossible”.
Aviation analysts now ask: was it pilot error, confusion — or something more troubling? Some question whether the aircraft’s electronic systems could have triggered the shutdown automatically.
The US FAA had warned in 2018 that some switches might be installed with their safety locks disengaged. Though not deemed dangerous then, it raises new questions now.
No evidence of fuel contamination or mechanical failure has been found. But with no cockpit video, identifying who moved the switches remains a key challenge.
Experts say more answers may lie in cockpit voice recordings, now under detailed analysis.
