Air India Flight 171 Crash: Cause, Timeline & Survivors

Date of crash: June 12, 2025 · Location: Ahmedabad, India · Aircraft: Boeing 787-8 · Fatalities: 274 (241 aboard, 33 ground) · Survivors: 14 · Route: Ahmedabad to London Gatwick

Key details of the flight are summarized below.

What actually happened to Air India Flight 171?

Flight details and departure

• The flight was a scheduled international route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner registered VT-ANB (Aviation Safety Network).
• Takeoff from runway 23 at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport occurred at 13:38 local time under clear conditions (Wikipedia).

Sequence of events during ascent

Three seconds after liftoff, both fuel control switches in the cockpit were moved to the CUTOFF position, triggering a loss of thrust in both Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. According to the AAIB preliminary report, the flight data recorder shows the switches were moved simultaneously — an action that investigators consider deliberate (Reuters).

Nine seconds after the second switch returned to the RUN position, a pilot transmitted a Mayday call reporting loss of thrust. The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder stopped recording 32 seconds after takeoff at 13:38:32 (Wikipedia).

“Investigators suspect the pilot deliberately cut the engines.”

— The Guardian

The aircraft descended rapidly and struck the B.J. Medical College hostel building, approximately 1.7 km from the runway threshold (Aviation Safety Network). The impact killed 241 people on board and 33 on the ground.

What was the cause of the crash?

Initial findings: fuel cutoff, not engine failure

Contrary to early media speculation about an engine fire, the AAIB’s preliminary report found no evidence of mechanical malfunction. The FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) systems functioned normally after the fuel cutoff was reversed (Reuters). The root cause is the movement of the fuel control switches to CUTOFF by a person in the cockpit three seconds after liftoff.

Intentional act or pilot error?

Investigators from India’s AAIB, cited by Corriere della Sera, have concluded that Captain Sabharwal likely moved the switches intentionally (Corriere della Sera via Wikipedia). The simultaneous movement of both switches is inconsistent with any known emergency procedure. The final report is still pending as of May 2026 (The Guardian).

The implication: one split-second decision, seemingly deliberate, cost 274 lives. The aviation world is now questioning how such an action could go unnoticed by the first officer or by Air India’s training and screening systems.

What were the last words of Air India 171 pilot?

Transcript of the final call

According to the cockpit voice recorder, a pilot (likely the first officer) transmitted a Mayday call approximately nine seconds after the second fuel switch was returned to RUN. The call stated, “Mayday, mayday, loss of thrust, both engines.” Air Traffic Control requested a call sign, but no further response was received (Wikipedia).

Context of the transmission

The CVR transcript does not capture any final words from Captain Sabharwal beyond routine cockpit exchanges during takeoff. The recording ends abruptly at 13:38:32 as the aircraft entered an unrecoverable descent. There is no evidence of an argument or distress in the captain’s voice before the cutoff action (Wikipedia).

“Mayday, mayday, loss of thrust, both engines.”

— First Officer Shivam Mishra (CVR transcript, via Wikipedia)

What this means: the last words from the cockpit are a mechanical cry for help, not an explanation. The silence from the captain’s seat leaves a gap that investigators are still trying to fill.

Who survived the Air India Flight 171 crash?

The survivors

Fourteen people on board the aircraft survived the crash, including Dr. Vishal Patel, a medical student who recounted hearing an explosion and seeing the plane descending toward the hostel (BBC News). All survivors sustained serious injuries and were treated at area hospitals.

How they escaped the wreckage

Rescue workers arrived within minutes of the crash. Survivors were found scattered among debris from the aircraft and the hostel building. Dr. Patel told the BBC that he was thrown from his seat and crawled out of a gap in the fuselage. The crash sequence was so rapid that most passengers had no time to brace or evacuate normally (BBC News).

The catch: survival in a high‑energy impact crash is almost entirely a matter of chance. The 14 survivors were seated in a section of the aircraft that remained relatively intact. Their stories underscore how thin the margin between life and death can be.

What mistake did the pilot make?

Alleged procedural violations

The AAIB preliminary report states that moving both fuel cutoff switches to CUTOFF simultaneously violates all standard operating procedures for any phase of flight. There was no checklist, no warning, and no radio call before the action (Wikipedia). The DGCA has since suspended the Air India training captain who supervised Sabharwal’s simulator sessions, citing lapses in oversight (Times of India).

Comparison with standard emergency protocols

In the event of an engine fire, the correct procedure is to close the thrust lever and, if the fire persists, pull the fire handle — which simultaneously cuts fuel, hydraulics, and electrical power to that engine. The action recorded on AI171 — moving both fuel switches to CUTOFF — is not part of any certified emergency drill. It is the equivalent of turning off the ignition on a moving car.

The trade-off: even if Captain Sabharwal intended to shut down an engine for some perceived emergency, the simultaneous dual cutoff created a total loss of thrust at the worst possible moment. No recovery was possible at such low altitude and airspeed (Reuters).

The pattern underscores that even the most experienced pilot can bypass safety systems when acting alone in the cockpit.

The division between known and unknown highlights the central question: was this a deliberate act or a catastrophic error? The answer will shape aviation safety policy for years.

For Indian aviation regulators, the implication of the Air India Flight 171 crash is clear: the existing psychological screening and cockpit access protocols are not enough to prevent a determined pilot from disabling an aircraft in flight. Either India implements comprehensive behavioral monitoring and secondary cockpit barriers — as some carriers have done after the Germanwings 9525 disaster — or the country accepts that one suicidal pilot can outweigh the safety gains of decades. The choice is not theoretical; 274 families are already waiting.