Air India Flight 171 crashed on June 12 last year, 32 seconds after take-off from Ahmedabad, India, killing 230 passengers (169 Indian, 53 British) and 19 on the ground, with one survivor. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is investigating, but its preliminary report has generated intense controversy.
The report noted the flight data recorder showed fuel cutoff switches moved to the cutoff position post-takeoff, and a cockpit voice recording captured one pilot asking "why did he cutoff" and the other denying it. This fueled speculation, including a pilot suicide theory, which the Federation of Indian Pilots and safety campaigners vigorously reject. They allege prior electrical faults with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner (VT-ANB), citing a 2022 "burning" incident and a known "core network" fault. An alternative theory suggests a major electrical failure caused flight computers to reboot, leading systems to cut fuel automatically. Lawyers for victims' families also point to the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deploying immediately after take-off, which simulator tests suggest would take 14-18 seconds, implying an earlier system failure. The AAIB is expected to publish an update by June 12.
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