Air India Plane Crash Report: 'Both Pilots Tried To Relight The Flamed Out Engines,' Says Former Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy

Air India AI-171 Crash: As the preliminary report on the Air India AI-171 plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, is released, former Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy has shared key details. According to him, the report confirms that both pilots attempted to relight the engines, which had flamed out, but were unsuccessful.

Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Rudy said, “Prima facie, the aircraft was fit to fly. There were no defects as far as the engines or other parameters were concerned. The AAIB report states that the aircraft took off normally, indicating it was capable of getting airborne. The jet fuel switch was in its required position. Later, the pilots reported decreasing engine power. A further probe will reveal why the engines flamed out."

"Captain Sabharwal and his co-pilot, using their years of experience, tried to relight the engines…Since it takes time, they couldn’t do it. If it had happened at an altitude above 4,000 feet, the engine could have been restored immediately. How and why this happened will be known through further investigation,” he added.

Air India Plane Crash: What the Preliminary Report Reveals

The preliminary report into the June 12 Air India AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad confirms that both engines shut down within moments of takeoff, with the fuel cutoff switches moving from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ almost simultaneously, within one second of each other.

The 15-page preliminary investigation report, accessed by Republic, suggests a possible fuel cutoff that stopped fuel flow to the engines, leading to a catastrophic loss of power shortly after departure. 

Ram Air Turbine Deployed During Crash

The report of the crash further 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.

Also Read: The Switch That Shouldn’t Fail: How a Known Flaw May Have Doomed AI-171