A preliminary probe finds both engine fuel cutoff switches were flipped seconds after takeoff, causing thrust loss and a crash.
At a Glance
- Both engine fuel cutoff switches moved from run to cutoff within seconds after liftoff.
- Engines shut down and lost thrust almost immediately, leading to rapid descent.
- A pilot asked the other “why did you cut off the fuel,” with no admission of responsibility.
- Ram air turbine deployed due to engine power loss.
- The cause of the switch movement remains undetermined.
Sudden Shutdown Triggers Catastrophe
Investigators probing the crash of Air India Flight 171 have revealed that both fuel cutoff switches aboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner were flipped to the “cutoff” position just three seconds after takeoff, instantly severing power to both engines. According to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), this triggered a total loss of thrust and forced the aircraft into an unrecoverable descent. Within 29 seconds, the jet plunged into a nearby field, killing all 260 onboard.
The data recorder indicated that the switches, which control fuel flow to the engines, moved to “cutoff” almost simultaneously—raising critical concerns about cockpit procedure, mechanical failure, or possible interference. While the switches were later flipped back to “run,” it was too late to recover the required altitude or speed.
Watch a report: Air India Crash Investigation
Chaos in the Cockpit
Moments after the engines cut out, cockpit voice recordings captured a heated exchange: one pilot asked, “why did you cut off the fuel?” The other pilot flatly denied any action, intensifying mystery over how both switches were disengaged nearly in unison. A MAYDAY call followed immediately, but the crew could not regain control.
The aircraft’s ram air turbine—a last-resort system that activates during total power loss—deployed midair, confirming complete dual engine failure. Investigators confirmed that the engines showed signs of attempted relight, but these efforts came too late as the aircraft was already in a critical descent.
Mechanical Flaw or Human Error?
Although the switches are designed with locking mechanisms to prevent accidental use, a 2018 FAA bulletin previously flagged potential issues with their security under certain conditions. Despite this, no mandatory inspections or modifications were ever enforced for the model in question.
The AAIB’s preliminary report does not indicate sabotage or deliberate action but leaves open the possibility of software anomaly, mechanical malfunction, or inadvertent manual input. The switches were found in the “run” position at the crash site, suggesting an attempt to restore power after initial cutoff.
Grieving families and aviation safety advocates are now pressing for a full-scale independent investigation, demanding to know how a critical system could fail—or be triggered—so catastrophically in such a short time window. Air India, regulators, and Boeing all face mounting pressure to explain how a highly redundant aircraft system failed so completely within seconds of liftoff.
The crash is the first fatal loss of a Boeing 787 since its introduction and could become a defining case in modern aviation risk and cockpit interface design.
