Last Exchange Between Air India Pilots Before Crash Made Public in Preliminary Report
- India's Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has found that the fuel control switches on Air India Flight 171 were turned off mid-flight, leading to the June 12 crash
- The AAIB's report also made public the final exchange between the two pilots, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and Clive Kunder, before their plane crashed
- One pilot was heard on the recording questioning his colleague on why he moved the fuel control switches from 'run' to 'cutoff', an action that caused the plane to lose thrust
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The last words exchanged between the two pilots on the Air India Flight 171 that crashed have been made public in a preliminary crash report.
Source: UGC
In a cockpit recording released as part of the report, one pilot asked the other why he moved the fuel control switches from ‘run’ to ‘cutoff’, which he denied doing.
The plane crashed moments later, killing 241 people on board, with one lone survivor.
What caused Air India Flight 171 crash?
India’s Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has shared its preliminary findings into its investigation of the fatal Air India 171 flight.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane crashed approximately thirty seconds after takeoff during a trip from Ahmedabad Airport in India to London Gatwick Airport in the United Kingdom on Thursday, June 12, 2025.
According to the crash report, data from the flight recorder showed that both the fuel control switches, which control whether the engines are on or off when the plane is on the ground, were moved from the run to the cutoff position shortly after takeoff.
This action caused both engines to lose power, resulting in the plane losing thrust.
One pilot noticed the anomaly and questioned his colleague about turning off the switches, which he denied.
Last words of Air India pilots
The Air India Flight 171 that crashed in India was operated by veteran pilot Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 56, who had 15,638 hours of flying experience, including 8,596 on the Boeing 787.
He was assisted by his co-pilot Clive Kunder, 32, who was moderately experienced, having logged 3,403 total flying hours, with 1,128 on the Dreamliner.
According to the AAIB's preliminary report, one pilot was heard asking his colleague about the fuel control switches.
The cockpit recording showed the puzzled pilot noticed the switch and asked his colleague, “Why did you cut off?”, to which the other responded, “I did not do so."
The report did not specify which pilot asked the question and which pilot responded.
After noticing the anomaly, the pilots turned the fuel control switches back on, which started the process of relighting the engines.
The AAIB found that one engine was regaining thrust when the plane tragically crashed into the hostel block of B. J. Medical College in Ahmedabad. The other engine was not yet regaining thrust.
All but one of the 230 passengers and 12 crew members on board were killed in the crash, while 19 people on the ground also lost their lives.
The report did not draw any conclusions or make any recommendations.
"At this stage of investigation, there are no recommended actions to B787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers, suggesting that no significant fault has been found with the plane or its engines," the report said.
Source: UGC
Air India flight survivor speaks from hospital
Previously, YEN.com.gh reported that the lone survivor of the Air India plane crash, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, spoke from his hospital bed where he was recovering.
Ramesh spoke to Indian state media from his hospital bed and explained how he survived the disaster.
He also recounted seeing scenes of horror during his escape, including watching people die right before his eyes.
Source: YEN.com.gh
