Air India Plane Crash Report: Bizarre Theories Emerge As Pilots Heard Asking Who Turned Off Fuel Supply

A preliminary report into the deadliest aviation disaster in over a decade has revealed a chilling twist: moments before Air India flight AI171 crashed in Ahmedabad last month, both engines lost fuel supply — and neither pilot claimed responsibility for switching it off.

The tragic incident, which occurred shortly after take-off on 12 June from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport en route to London Gatwick, killed 260 people — including 241 of the 242 people onboard and 19 on the ground. The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, plummeted into a densely populated area, with debris striking parts of BJ Medical College and Hospital hostel.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India has now released a preliminary report taken from the aircraft's black box, hoping to shed light on the crucial moments before the crash — while raising further questions.

Fuel Cut-off Mystery

According to a report, data from the aircraft's flight recorder showed that the plane had achieved an airspeed of 180 knots when both engines' fuel control switches were flipped from the 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' position within a single second. This sudden change halted fuel supply to the engines during a critical phase of ascent.

The cockpit voice recorder captured a haunting exchange. One pilot can be heard asking the other why he turned off the fuel supply. The response: He didn't. The report stops short of identifying which pilot spoke each line, or whether a technical malfunction could be to blame.

Seconds later, the crew managed to re-engage the fuel switches, and both engines reignited. However, recovery came too late to prevent the devastating crash.

No Easy Explanation

While the report pinpoints the cause of engine failure, it offers no clarity on how or why the switches were turned off. Air safety expert Geoffrey Dell, who has led numerous crash investigations, noted that on Boeing 787s, the fuel switches are deliberately designed to prevent accidental engagement. Located between the two pilot seats and protected by a metal guard, the switches require the operator to pull and push them in a two-step process.

'It's at least a two-action process for each one,' Dell told CNN. 'You've got to pull the switch out towards you and then push it down. It's not the sort of thing you can do inadvertently.'

He went on to call the possibility of intentional shutoff 'bizarre,' explaining, 'There is no scenario on the planet where you'd do that immediately after lift-off.'

The fact that both switches were flipped nearly simultaneously adds to the mystery. 'That's the sort of thing you do when you park the airplane at the end of the flight,' Dell said.

Technical Fault or Human Error?

One potential clue lies in a 2018 bulletin from the US Federal Aviation Administration, which warned of the 'potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature' in certain aircraft. However, since the condition wasn't deemed immediately hazardous, Air India reportedly did not implement inspections related to the issue.

Dell believes the full cockpit voice recordings and data should help determine whether human error or a mechanical fault caused the fuel cut-off — but India's AAIB has yet to release the full transcript, making it difficult to draw conclusions.

Former pilot Ehsan Khalid, speaking to Reuters, urged against prematurely blaming the flight crew. 'The AAIB report to me is only conclusive to say that the accident happened because both engines lost power,' he said. 'The pilots were aware that the aircraft engine power has been lost, and pilots also were aware that they did not do any action to cause this.'

Families Devastated, And Questions Remain

Images from the aftermath showed a harrowing scene: rescue teams carrying bodies, distraught relatives gathered outside hospitals, and buildings scorched by the impact. Among the victims were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.

The lone survivor, a teenage passenger seated near the rear of the aircraft, is currently recovering in the hospital.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site the following day, as investigators worked through the wreckage to collect clues. Health authorities have been taking DNA samples from relatives to aid in the identification of victims.

Air India has acknowledged receipt of the AAIB report and stated that it is cooperating fully with the investigation.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has urged the public to avoid jumping to conclusions. 'Let's not speculate until we have the final report,' he said.

The full investigation is expected to take several months. In the meantime, grieving families and aviation experts alike are left with a single, haunting question: who – or what – turned off the fuel supply?