Cockpit Conversations Deepen Investigation into Air India 171 Crash

Liputan6.com, Jakarta The mystery of the Air India Flight 171 crash that killed 260 people in Ahmedabad, India, in June 2025, deepened after preliminary investigation results were released.

The 15-page report released Saturday (July 12) revealed that both fuel control switches of the 12-year-old Boeing 787 Dreamliner suddenly moved to the cut-off position just seconds after takeoff. This position usually is only activated after an airplane has landed, not while airborne.

As a result, both of the plane's engines lost their fuel supply. One of the engines was able to restart, while the other engine had not had time to provide sufficient thrust when the plane crashed.

Cockpit voice recordings are the focus of the investigation. In the recording, one of the pilots can be heard asking, “Why did you make the cut-off?” to which he replied, “I didn't.”

However, the identity of the speaker is not yet known. At the time, the copilot was flying the plane, while the captain was in charge of monitoring.

The aircraft reached an altitude of 190 meters before disappearing from radar just 50 seconds later, according to Flightradar24 data.

The investigators highlighted the design of the fuel switch, which has had a safety lock since the 1950s. The protective bracket prevents it from being moved accidentally.

"It is almost impossible to pull both switches with just one hand. Accidental operation becomes very unlikely," a Canadian accident investigator told the BBC.

Shawn Pruchnicki, a former plane crash investigator and aviation expert from Ohio State University, also questioned how the switch could have moved.

"If one of the pilots turned it off, whether intentionally or not, why did he pull it to the off position? There was no sign of confusion or procedural error," he said.

Peter Goelz, former Managing Director of the US NTSB, called these findings “very troubling.” According to him, one comment like “why did you turn off the switch” is not enough. “Who turned it off, and why? That's what you have to look for in the voice recordings,” he said.

Investigators emphasize that voice identification in the cockpit holds the key to this mystery. Usually, people who knew the pilots will be asked to help recognize their voices.

“What is needed now is a full transcript, clear voice identification, and a thorough review of all communications from the time the plane was pushed back from the gate until it crashed,” Goelz explains.

Experts are also calling for the use of cockpit video recorders, which could show whose hand moved the switch, as recommended by the NTSB.

According to reports, before flying, the entire crew had passed a breath test and were declared fit. They had also been well-rested in Ahmedabad.

However, investigators found an important note from the US Federal Aviation Agency (FAA), which in 2018 had issued a bulletin about Boeing 737 fuel switches with disabled locking features.

Although not required, the issue drew attention because a similar design was used on the Boeing 787-8, including the plane that crashed.

Pruchnicki questioned whether this might have played a role. "What does it mean if the latch is disabled? Can the switches turn themselves off? If so, this is a serious problem," he said.

Goelz, on the other hand, thinks the issue may just be a distraction. “I haven't heard similar complaints from pilots,” he said.

In addition to the switch, investigators noted the aircraft's Ram Air Turbine (RAT) expanded, an indication of a major system failure. The RAT, a small propeller at the bottom of the plane, serves as an emergency generator when the engines lose total power.

The landing gear was also found in the down position. A Boeing 787 pilot suspects that the pilot did not have time to pull it because the incident happened so quickly. “When the engine dies and the airplane starts to descend, the pilot's focus is only one: finding a place to land as safely as possible,” he said.

Pruchnicki added that although the crew had tried to restore the engine, the time available was too short.

"The left engine started first, the right engine recovered too late. Finally, there was too little thrust and too late," he explained.

Until now, investigators have continued to examine cockpit voice recordings and aircraft debris. They hope that in-depth findings from the black box will reveal who moved the fuel switch and why the fatal incident occurred.

This tragedy has become one of India's most puzzling aviation disasters, and the world is now waiting for answers.