Did the captain disable the engines just seconds after takeoff? The black box data raises new questions.
On 12 June, Air India flight 171 took off from Ahmedabad, India, bound for London Gatwick. Just seconds into its flight, the aircraft tragically crashed, killing 270 people. An investigation into the black box has now revealed a startling detail.
According to a Wall Street Journal report citing U.S. sources, the fuel shutoff switches for both engines may have been pressed by the flight’s captain, Sumeet Sabharwal.
Cockpit Panic: “Why Did You Shut Down the Engines?”
The black box recordings reportedly capture the concerned voice of First Officer Clive Kunder asking, “Why did you shut off fuel control to both engines?”
Experts, analysing the recordings, confirmed that the engine switches were turned off in sequence just seconds after takeoff, and turned back on approximately 10 seconds later. However, the loss of altitude was so rapid that there was no time for engine recovery.
“The Aircraft Is in Your Hands” — Chilling Words on the Black Box
Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, citing black box data, reported that during takeoff the captain told his co-pilot, “The aircraft is in your hands.” It is believed that control was handed over just as the first officer was already overwhelmed with flight management tasks.
No Technical Malfunction Found, Aircraft Fully Maintained
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) stated in its preliminary report that there were no mechanical failures or maintenance issues. The report confirmed that the fuel control switches had been moved from “run” to “cutoff,” but whether this was intentional or a mistake remains unclear.
U.S. officials added that although there is no cockpit video, the voice recordings implicate the captain.
Expert Opinion: “An Utterly Irrational Act”
Aviation expert and former pilot Terry Tozer told Sky News, “Shutting down the engines so early is completely bizarre. Unfortunately, the altitude was too low, and there wasn’t time to recover.”
Government and Airline: Wait for the Final Report
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, in internal communications, confirmed that no technical fault was found in the preliminary report. Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu urged the public to avoid speculation: “Let’s wait for the final report.”
Under international civil aviation rules, the final crash report is expected within one year.
Tragic Toll: 270 Lives Lost
Flight AI171 crashed into a student dormitory in the Meghani Nagar area just seconds after takeoff. Of the 242 passengers on board, 241 were killed, along with 29 people in the building. The sole surviving passenger remains hospitalised.
Dreamliner Fleet Under Scrutiny
As authorities investigate potential human error and systemic vulnerabilities, Indian officials have announced comprehensive inspections of Air India’s fleet of 33 Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
