Air India A1-171 Ahmedabad Plane Crash Report: Full Findings on Fuel Cutoff and Engine Shutdown Reveals

Air India A1-171 Crash Preliminary Report Out: The preliminary report into the Air India A1-171 crash in Ahmedabad on June 12 has been released, confirming that both engines shut down within moments of takeoff. The 15-page preliminary investigation report, accessed by Republic, cites a possible fuel cutoff that stopped fuel flow to the engines, leading to a catastrophic loss of power shortly after departure. Here’s a detailed look at why Air India A1-171 crashed and what the preliminary findings reveal. 

Air India A1-171 crash, Ahmedabad plane crash, Air India crash investigation, Fuel cutoff engine failure, Ahmedabad plane crash report, Boeing 787-8 engine shutdown, Air India crash preliminary report, Aviation safety investigation, Air India flight 171 findings

A Timeline of the Crash and Investigation 

• 12 June: Air India Flight 171 crashes shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad, killing 260 people, including 241 of the 242 on board.
• 13 June: The Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation launches an investigation, with UK and US investigators arriving at the site. The first black box is recovered.    
• 16 June: The second black box is found in the debris, with its exact location not disclosed.
• 24 June: Both black boxes are transported to Delhi by the Indian Air Force for data extraction.
• 25 June: Memory modules and data are successfully downloaded, and analysis begins to reconstruct the sequence of events.
• 12 July: Thirty days after the crash, and after 16 days of analysing the black box data, a 15-page preliminary report is released under international aviation rules. It reveals that the fuel control switches were moved to the cut-off position moments before the plane crashed.
   

What the Preliminary Report Reveals

The preliminary report into the June 12 Air India 171 crash in Ahmedabad confirms that both engines shut down within moments of takeoff. The report found that the fuel cutoff switches, which control fuel flow to the engines, shifted from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' almost simultaneously within one second of each other.

Pilots Question Fuel Cutoff, Seconds Before Crash

"The aircraft achieved the maximum recorded airspeed of 180 Knots IAS at about 08:08:42 UTC and immediately thereafter, the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 sec," the report says.

Cockpit voice recordings reveal that one pilot asked the other why the engines had been cut off, to which the other pilot responded that he had not done so.

At 08:08:52 UTC, Engine 1’s fuel cutoff switch returned to ‘RUN’, followed by Engine 2’s switch at 08:08:56 UTC.Despite this, at 08:09:05, one of the pilots issued a “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY” distress call, but ground controllers received no further communication before witnessing the crash.
 

Ram Air Turbine Deployed During Crash

A report released shortly after 1 a.m. on Saturday notes that the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) was deployed during the crash, indicating a complete loss of power and thrust.

“CCTV footage from the airport captured the Ram Air Turbine deploying during the aircraft’s initial climb, right after take-off,” the report states.

The aircraft began losing altitude before clearing the airport’s perimeter wall, with no significant bird activity reported near the flight path.

Data from the Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (black box) confirmed that while Engine 1 began recovering after the switches returned to ‘RUN’, Engine 2 failed to restart.

No Action for Boeing or GE

At this stage, the report states that no safety recommendations are being issued to Boeing 787-8 operators or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers. The current findings do not indicate any immediate safety concerns requiring technical directives for these stakeholders. However, the investigation remains ongoing, with further analysis potentially leading to future recommendations.

Air India Responds, Says It Is Cooperating Fully

Air India released a statement acknowledging the preliminary report and expressing solidarity with affected families.

“Air India stands in solidarity with the families and those affected by the AI171 accident. We continue to mourn the loss and are fully committed to providing support during this difficult time. We acknowledge receipt of the preliminary report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) today, 12 July 2025. Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. We continue to fully cooperate with the AAIB and other authorities as their investigation progresses. Given the active nature of the investigation, we are unable to comment on specific details and refer all such enquiries to the AAIB.” – Air India spokesperson

The airline did not address specific findings in the report but affirmed its ongoing cooperation with investigators.

What It Means When a Plane’s Engines Are ‘Cut Off’

The preliminary report indicates that both engines were almost simultaneously flipped from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF', starving them of fuel and causing a rapid loss of thrust. This action typically occurs after landing when engines are turned off or in emergencies, though the report does not indicate an in-flight emergency led to this action.

What We Know About the Plane

The aircraft was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, launched 14 years ago, and the crashed plane was 11 years old with over 700 flights completed in the year before the crash, as per Flightradar24 data.

Air India operates a fleet of more than 190 aircraft, including 58 Boeing planes, according to its official data.

As confirmed in the preliminary report, there are currently no recommended actions for Boeing 787-8 or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers at this stage of the investigation.

ALSO READ: AI-171 Crash Finding: Pilots Identified Fuel Cut Off, Both Engines Shut Down Within Moments Of Takeoff