Air India Flight 171 departed Ahmedabad airport in western India with 259 people aboard, destined for London. Within 32 seconds of takeoff, the aircraft lost altitude and crashed, resulting in 259 fatalities—258 on the plane and 19 on the ground. Only one person survived the disaster.
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau conducted the official investigation under international aviation law, with participation from the US National Transportation Safety Board and representatives from Boeing and GE Aerospace. The preliminary report, released a month after the accident, noted that the aircraft’s flight data recorder showed the fuel cutoff switches had transitioned to the cutoff position seconds after takeoff. The cockpit voice recording captured dialogue in which one pilot asked the other why he had cut off fuel, with the other pilot denying responsibility. The report provided no transcript or identification of which pilot was speaking.
These findings sparked widespread speculation in international media outlets. Some reports suggested the captain may have deliberately disabled the engines, while citing unnamed sources claiming the captain had flipped the fuel switches. The NTSB’s former chairman stated the evidence indicated someone in the cockpit had shut off fuel to the engines rather than an aircraft or engine malfunction.
The AAIB subsequently issued a statement condemning what it called “selective and unverified reporting” as irresponsible and urged restraint pending the final investigation conclusions. However, pilot organizations and the deceased captain’s family filed a petition with India’s Supreme Court requesting a judicial investigation, arguing the preliminary report was compromised and reflected a pattern of blaming deceased pilots to shield regulators and manufacturers from accountability. Aviation safety advocates noted the convenience of such outcomes for multiple parties involved in accident investigations.
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