Engine 1 And 2 Fuel Cutoff Switches Transitioned To 'CUTOFF' Position One After Another: AAIB's Priliminary Report On Air India Plane Crash

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has released a preliminary report on its probe into the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, in which 241 people onboard the aircraft were killed, and only one survived.

According to the AAIB report, the fuel control switches "transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 sec", which led to both the engines losing thrust, and the flight crashed just 32 seconds after takeoff.

The report has ruled out any bird-hit or bird activity that could have impacted the flight. 

The report said that both engines of the ill-fated aircraft experienced a momentary recovery after an initial loss of thrust, but ultimately failed to stabilise the plane.

The aircraft, registered VT-ANB, was operating a scheduled passenger flight to London Gatwick on 12 June 2025 when it lost altitude during the initial climb phase and crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel complex, 1.6 km from the end of Runway 23.

Critical Mid-Air Shutdowns

Flight data recovered from the aircraft’s forward flight recorder shows the aircraft lifted off at 1.38 pm with normal flap settings and takeoff thrust.

However, just three seconds after reaching a speed of 180 knots, both fuel control switches transitioned to “CUTOFF,” cutting off fuel supply to both engines.

"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," the AAIB report said.

The report - released after 1 am on Saturday (12 July) - notes that, as seen in footage of the crash, the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) was deployed, indicating a total loss of power and thrust in the aircraft. 

"The CCTV footage obtained from the airport showed Ram Air Turbine (RAT) getting deployed during the initial climb immediately after lift-off. No significant bird activity is observed in the vicinity of the flight path. The aircraft started to lose altitude before crossing the airport perimeter wall," the report said.

Data from the Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR), commonly known as the black box, revealed that both switches were moved back to the ‘RUN' position and while Engine 1 showed signs of recovery, Engine 2 could not. 

“Engine 1's core deceleration stopped, reversed and started to progress to recovery. Engine 2 was able to relight but could not arrest core speed deceleration and reintroduced fuel repeatedly to increase core speed acceleration and recovery,” the AAIB report noted.

The report said that while the thrust levers were found near the idle position, the data from the black box revealed that they were in the forward position until the impact. Both fuel control switches were also in the 'RUN' position.

Putting to rest a key area of speculation, the report revealed that the flap setting (at five degrees) and the landing gear lever position (DOWN) were normal for takeoff.

The cause of the dual shutdown is still under investigation.

Emergency Response and Impact

A MAYDAY call was transmitted at 1.39 pm by one of the pilots, moments before the aircraft descended uncontrollably into the hostel buildings.

The impact destroyed five buildings and led to a massive post-crash fire.

Notably, the aircraft’s Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) did not activate during the crash.

The aircraft was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members.

Of the passengers, one survived with serious injuries, while 229 perished.

The death toll on the ground included 19 individuals, with 67 more injured.

Aircraft Mechanical and Maintenance History

The Boeing 787-8, manufactured in 2013, had accumulated over 41,000 flight hours.

Both engines had recently been installed — one in May and the other in March 2025.

International Investigation Underway

Given that the aircraft was manufactured in the US and several foreign nationals, including from the UK, Portugal, and Canada, were among the deceased, international agencies including the NTSB (USA), AAIB (UK), GPIAAF (Portugal), and TSB (Canada) are involved.

Technical representatives from Boeing, GE, and FAA have joined the AAIB-led investigation, which is ongoing.

Detailed analysis of flight data, cockpit audio, and crew medical reports is underway.

No Immediate Airworthiness Recommendations

At this stage, AAIB has not issued any safety recommendations regarding the Boeing 787-8 aircraft or GE’s GEnx-1B engines.

Investigation is continuing and the investigation team will review and examine additional evidence, records and information that is being sought from the stakeholders, the report noted.

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