Preliminary Report Reveals New Details in Tragic Air India Plane Crash

New findings have come to light about the tragic crash which took the lives of more than 200 passengers. Reports have now exposed shocking details behind the heartbreaking incident.

A fuel interruption to the engines was behind last month's Air India disaster that left 260 dead, according to an early investigation. The flight, heading to London, had just lifted off from Ahmedabad airport before it plummeted, with only one passenger making it out alive.

Details from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, shared by CNN, revealed that the fuel control switches on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner were flipped, causing a loss of fuel supply to the engines. These switches, which move between the CUTOFF and RUN positions, are critical in managing fuel flow to the engines.

Investigators extracted crucial data from the aircraft's black boxes, which held 49 hours of flight records and two hours of cockpit audio capturing the final moments before the crash.

According to the report, the jet had reached 180 knots when both engines were shut down, with each fuel cutoff switch flipped just one second apart.

The recording also caught a tense moment between the pilots, "In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so."

Moments later, the switches were flipped back to their correct positions, and the engines started to recover. However, the aircraft went down before full power could be restored.

As the probe continued, investigators looked closely at the aircraft's cockpit setup. On the Boeing 787, the fuel cutoff switches are placed between the pilots' seats, just behind the throttle levers. These switches are guarded by a metal bar and secured with a locking system to prevent unintentional movement.

Surveillance footage from the airport showed the Ram Air Turbine — an emergency power device — deploying during the plane's initial climb. Soon after, the aircraft began descending before it could pass the airport's outer wall.

This unexpected deployment signaled a serious power issue just moments after takeoff. According to the report, switching the controls from CUTOFF to RUN mid-flight triggers the engines' automatic restart process, including ignition and fuel flow.

Seconds into this restart attempt, one of the pilots made a frantic radio call, "MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY." The tower responded, asking for the aircraft's callsign, but there was silence as the jet crashed in the distance.

Aviation analyst David Soucie told CNN that such an event is highly unlikely. "Those switches have been enhanced over time to ensure they can’t be accidentally moved. They don't shift on their own," he explained, adding that accidental shutdowns like this are "extremely rare."

As previously reported, an Air India flight bound for London tragically crashed on, June 12, just minutes after taking off from the northwestern Indian city of Ahmedabad. While authorities continue to confirm the details, grieving families are left to mourn the loss of their loved ones.

The incident involved flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8, which was carrying 244 people—232 passengers and 12 crew members—according to officials. Of the 232 passengers, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were British, while one Canadian and seven Portuguese nationals were also among those traveling.

A further breakdown reveals that the passengers included 217 adults, 11 children, and two infants. The total number of fatalities has yet to be confirmed.

"Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025. At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest on http://airindia.com and on our X handle (https://x.com/airindia)," a spokesperson for Air India confirmed on X.

The aircraft had departed at 1:38 p.m. local time. It was scheduled to land at London's Gatwick Airport at 6:25 p.m. According to data from Flight Radar, it lost signal just seconds after takeoff, having reached an altitude of 625 feet.

Before communication with the aircraft was severed, the aircraft issued a mayday alert to air traffic control. No further communication followed after the distress call.

The plane went down in a residential area called Meghani Nagar, crashing into a medical college hostel, only five minutes into the flight. The densely populated neighborhood lies near the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, a city of over 5 million residents.

Visuals aired on local news channels showed thick plumes of smoke rising from the crash site as emergency crews rushed to the scene.

Weather conditions were reported to be calm and clear at the time of the crash, according to flight safety expert Marco Chan. Aviation forecasts indicated light surface winds and visibility of around six kilometers, with no severe weather, storms, or wind shear present that could have impacted the flight.

Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, confirmed the location of the crash and the number of people on board.

India's Civil Aviation Minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, shared that emergency response teams had been dispatched to the scene, with efforts underway to provide immediate medical assistance and necessary relief to those affected.

"We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action," he noted. "My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families."

Operations at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport have been suspended, with the airport remaining closed until further notice.

Meanwhile, local politician Darshna Vaghela told reporters that several doctors' flats in the area were damaged in the crash. He said he was nearby at the time and helped rescue many of the residents from their homes.

According to local media reports, the aircraft came down on the dining hall of the government-run B.J. Medical College hostel, reportedly claiming the lives of several medical students.

Footage aired showed part of the plane lodged on top of the building. "We are still verifying the number of dead, including those killed in the building where the plane crashed," Vidhi Chaudhary, a top state police officer said.

A parent, Ramila, shared that her son had just entered the hostel for a lunch break when the plane crashed. He jumped from the second floor and was injured, but is now safe.

Anxious relatives gathered outside hospitals in Ahmedabad awaiting news of loved ones have also spoken out. Among them was Poonam Patel who said his sister-in-law had been on the London-bound flight. "Within an hour, I got the news that the plane had crashed. So I came here," he said.

Records show the crashed aircraft frequently operates routes between India and cities such as Paris, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Amsterdam, and Melbourne. This marks the first-ever crash involving a Boeing 787-8, a significant moment for the aircraft that has maintained a strong safety record since its launch 14 years ago.

Known as the Dreamliner, the model recently celebrated a major milestone, having transported a billion passengers across nearly five million flights. The global fleet of more than 1,175 Dreamliners has accumulated over 30 million flight hours.

The incident is a serious setback for Boeing, which has already been under pressure due to ongoing issues with its 737 aircraft line. It also presents a fresh challenge for CEO Kelly Ortberg, who is nearing his one-year mark at the helm and was appointed to help steer the company through mounting concerns about its operations and reliability.

The last deadly aviation accident in India occurred in 2020, resulting in 21 deaths. An Air India Express flight, part of the airline's budget division, overshot a tabletop runway at Kozhikode International Airport in the south.

The Boeing 737 skidded, plunged into a valley, and crashed nose-first. Since then, Air India has undergone significant changes. Once state-run, the airline was acquired by the Tata Group in 2022 and later merged with Vistara—its joint venture with Singapore Airlines—in 2024.