Ahmedabad Air India crash: How did fuel supply CUTOFF to both engines of AI171 simultaneously after take-off? Boeing chief says...
Immediately after take-off from Ahmedabad International Airport, the fuel cutoff switches of both engines of the Air India 171 flight turned on simultaneously, cutting off fuel supply to both engines, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) probing the tragic crash said in its preliminary report.
The AAIB released its preliminary report on the probe during the early hours of Saturday. Detailing the sequence of events before the fatal crash, the report said, within a gap of a second, the fuel supply to both engines of the London-bound AI171 flight was cut off soon after take-off.
"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 Engine N1 and N2 began to decrease from their take-off values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off," it said.
The report mentioned that even one of the pilots asked the other "why did he cutoff" fuel to the engines. "The other pilot responded that he did not do so," investigators said based on the voice recording from the cockpit.
In a statement, Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg said, “Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Air India Flight 171, as well as everyone affected in Ahmedabad. I have spoken with Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran to offer our full support, and a Boeing team stands ready to support the investigation led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.”
"Boeing will defer to India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to provide information about Air India Flight 171, in adherence with the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization protocol known as Annex 13," he added.
Air India, in a statement, acknowledged the receipt of the preliminary report and said it would continue to cooperate with the probe. In a statement published on X, Air India said, "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."
It added, "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."
As many as 260 people died in the fatal crash on June 12. The Air India Ahmedabad-London flight crashed immediately after take-off from the airport.
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