Air India Flight 171 crashed on 12 June last year shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport in Ahmedabad, killing 249 of 250 people on board and 19 more on the ground. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 230 passengers and 10 crew members, ascended briefly before descending and disappearing behind buildings before exploding.
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the official investigation as required under international law. The preliminary report noted that aircraft flight data recorders showed fuel cutoff switches transitioning to the cutoff position seconds after takeoff, and cockpit voice recordings captured one pilot asking another why the fuel was cut off. Media reports suggested Captain Sumeet Sabharwal deliberately shut off fuel in what some termed a potential homicide-suicide scenario. The AAIB subsequently condemned “selective and unverified reporting” as irresponsible.
Critics including pilot organizations, safety campaigners, and lawyers representing victims’ families have challenged the suicide theory, citing evidence of prior electrical problems on the aircraft and apparent timing inconsistencies in the preliminary report. They propose that a major electrical failure could have caused the aircraft’s computers to reboot, triggering an automated safety system to cut fuel supply without pilot intervention. The Ram Air Turbine emergency power system deployment timing also raises questions about when systems actually failed.
The investigation has exposed broader concerns about the accident inquiry system. Under international aviation law, the country where an accident occurs oversees the investigation, potentially creating vulnerabilities to political pressure and corporate influence. Boeing, already facing reputational challenges from previous safety issues, and Air India, a struggling carrier recently acquired by the Tata Group, both have significant interests in the investigation’s outcome.
The AAIB must publish an update by 12 June. The International Civil Aviation Organisation recently approved changes to investigation procedures taking effect in late 2028, though experts debate whether current reforms adequately address systemic issues or whether a global investigation authority would better serve aviation safety.
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