The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Thursday (February 12) rejected media reports suggesting that the probe into the Air India Flight AI-171 crash had been completed, calling such claims “incorrect and speculative.” In a statement, the aviation investigation authority, which functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, stressed that inquiries into the June 2025 tragedy remain ongoing. It stressed that no definitive findings have been issued so far.&nbsp;The clarification follows a report by Italian daily Corriere della Sera, which claimed that investigators had ruled out any technical malfunction involving the aircraft’s fuel switches. The publication, citing sources from Western aviation agencies, suggested that the crash may have resulted from an “intentional act,” alleging that one of the pilots switched off both fuel controls before the aircraft went down. Refuting these assertions, the AAIB reiterated that the investigation has not reached any final stage and warned against drawing premature conclusions.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/dac-approves-114-rafale-jets-from-france-for-iaf-90-to-be-manufactured-in-india-1770899769494">DAC approves 114 Rafale jets from France for IAF; 90 to be manufactured in India</a>&nbsp;Air India Flight 171, operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed near Ahmedabad airport on June 12, 2025, moments after takeoff. The aircraft lost power in both engines and descended within 32 seconds, striking a medical students’ hostel. Of the 242 people on board, 241 lost their lives. Several individuals on the ground were also killed, taking the total death toll to 260.&nbsp;In the aftermath of the disaster, Air India has started returning personal belongings recovered from the wreckage to the families of victims. The airline confirmed that thousands of items, including clothing, jewellery, travel papers, electronic gadgets, and other valuables, were retrieved during search operations at the crash site.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/bangladesh-votes-first-time-since-hasina-s-ouster-as-bnp-faces-jamaat-challenge-1770900267156/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/bangladesh-votes-first-time-since-hasina-s-ouster-as-bnp-faces-jamaat-challenge-1770900267156/embed</a>&nbsp;According to the airline, each recovered item was catalogued and preserved before efforts were made to identify and match them with the rightful families. The handover process is being conducted in coordination with local authorities and consular representatives, especially in cases involving relatives living abroad. Families are being approached individually and provided with details about how and when the belongings will be returned. While the initiative aims to offer some measure of closure, it has also drawn scrutiny and raised concerns among affected families.

'Incorrect and speculative': AAIB denies report claiming investigation in Air India AI-171 crash is complete

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Thursday (February 12) rejected media reports suggesting that the probe into the Air India Flight AI-171 crash had been completed, calling such claims “incorrect and speculative.” In a statement, the aviation investigation authority, which functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, stressed that inquiries into the June 2025 tragedy remain ongoing. It stressed that no definitive findings have been issued so far. The clarification follows a report by Italian daily Corriere della Sera, which claimed that investigators had ruled out any technical malfunction involving the aircraft’s fuel switches. The publication, citing sources from Western aviation agencies, suggested that the crash may have resulted from an “intentional act,” alleging that one of the pilots switched off both fuel controls before the aircraft went down. Refuting these assertions, the AAIB reiterated that the investigation has not reached any final stage and warned against drawing premature conclusions. Also Read: DAC approves 114 Rafale jets from France for IAF; 90 to be manufactured in India Air India Flight 171, operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed near Ahmedabad airport on June 12, 2025, moments after takeoff. The aircraft lost power in both engines and descended within 32 seconds, striking a medical students’ hostel. Of the 242 people on board, 241 lost their lives. Several individuals on the ground were also killed, taking the total death toll to 260. In the aftermath of the disaster, Air India has started returning personal belongings recovered from the wreckage to the families of victims. The airline confirmed that thousands of items, including clothing, jewellery, travel papers, electronic gadgets, and other valuables, were retrieved during search operations at the crash site. https://www.wionews.com/videos/bangladesh-votes-first-time-since-hasina-s-ouster-as-bnp-faces-jamaat-challenge-1770900267156/embed According to the airline, each recovered item was catalogued and preserved before efforts were made to identify and match them with the rightful families. The handover process is being conducted in coordination with local authorities and consular representatives, especially in cases involving relatives living abroad. Families are being approached individually and provided with details about how and when the belongings will be returned. While the initiative aims to offer some measure of closure, it has also drawn scrutiny and raised concerns among affected families.

AAIB rejects claims that the Air India AI-171 crash investigation is complete, saying the probe remains ongoing with no final findings yet

The India-based Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) on Sunday released a 15-page preliminary investigation report of the London-bound Air India AI171 plane crash moments after take-off from Ahmedabad last month, claiming the lives of 242 passengers. In response, the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) stated that it is in the process of reviewing its Indian counterpart's preliminary report of the tragic accident.&nbsp;The publication of this preliminary report was welcomed by the UK AAIB. It has uncovered factual information in the summary, UK AAIB said in a statement. The investigation branch is also reviewing this preliminary report in detail and is in communication with AAIB India. In the statement, it has said that the release of information on the investigation rests solely with the Indian authorities under international protocols.&nbsp;The report indicated that the disaster revealed fuel-control switches of the two engines moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position, within the space of one second, leading to immediate loss of altitude. In the cockpit voice recording, one pilot is heard asking the other why he cut off the fuel. The other denied having done so.&nbsp;The findings of the investigation disclosed that fuel-control switches of the two engines moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position within the space of one second, resulting in the aircraft losing its altitude, killing 242 passengers.<h3>Key findings in the probe</h3><ul><li>The aircraft carried 54,200 kg of fuel, and its take-off weight of 2,13,401 kg fell within the approved limit. It became airborne at 13:08:39 IST. The engine fuel control switches were briefly turned off and then reactivated with a one-second interval.</li><li>At 13:09:05 IST, one of the pilots issued a distress call, saying “Mayday, mayday, mayday.” However, there was no response from air traffic control (ATC), which then observed the aircraft crash.</li><li>The crash debris was recorded using drones and later moved to a secured location close to the airport. Both engines were recovered and quarantined in a hangar. Fuel samples from the aircraft and refuelling vehicles were tested at the DGCA laboratory and found to be satisfactory.</li></ul><h3>UK based families demand structured investigation</h3>Families in the UK who lost loved ones in the June 12 crash are calling for a structured way to be represented by experts in the official investigation. Keystone Law, representing over 20 of these families, welcomed the narrowed focus of the probe into the aircraft's fuel control switches. However, the firm pointed out that outdated legal frameworks currently prevent families from participating in the investigation.&nbsp;According to a report in Business Standard, James Healy-Pratt, Aviation Partner at Keystone, said, "the families now understand there is a more defined area of investigation, but one of their bigger concerns is that they are excluded from this safety investigation."&nbsp;He argued that a system should be placed allowing expert representation for those families that can feed into the combined safety work that's going on. "And let’s not forget, this aircraft is a global product,” he said, highlighting the involvement of the Indian AAIB, British AAIB, and US authorities. “Families should ideally have a voice in that process.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

The investigation branch is also reviewing this preliminary report in detail and is in communication with AAIB India. AAIB said that the release of information on the investigation rests solely with the Indian authorities under international protocols.

The India-based Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) on Sunday released a 15-page preliminary investigation report of the London-bound Air India AI171 plane crash moments after take-off from Ahmedabad last month, claiming the lives of 242 passengers. In response, the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) stated that it is in the process of reviewing its Indian counterpart's preliminary report of the tragic accident. The publication of this preliminary report was welcomed by the UK AAIB. It has uncovered factual information in the summary, UK AAIB said in a statement. The investigation branch is also reviewing this preliminary report in detail and is in communication with AAIB India. In the statement, it has said that the release of information on the investigation rests solely with the Indian authorities under international protocols. The report indicated that the disaster revealed fuel-control switches of the two engines moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position, within the space of one second, leading to immediate loss of altitude. In the cockpit voice recording, one pilot is heard asking the other why he cut off the fuel. The other denied having done so. The findings of the investigation disclosed that fuel-control switches of the two engines moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position within the space of one second, resulting in the aircraft losing its altitude, killing 242 passengers. Key findings in the probe The aircraft carried 54,200 kg of fuel, and its take-off weight of 2,13,401 kg fell within the approved limit. It became airborne at 13:08:39 IST. The engine fuel control switches were briefly turned off and then reactivated with a one-second interval. At 13:09:05 IST, one of the pilots issued a distress call, saying “Mayday, mayday, mayday.” However, there was no response from air traffic control (ATC), which then observed the aircraft crash. The crash debris was recorded using drones and later moved to a secured location close to the airport. Both engines were recovered and quarantined in a hangar. Fuel samples from the aircraft and refuelling vehicles were tested at the DGCA laboratory and found to be satisfactory. UK based families demand structured investigation Families in the UK who lost loved ones in the June 12 crash are calling for a structured way to be represented by experts in the official investigation. Keystone Law, representing over 20 of these families, welcomed the narrowed focus of the probe into the aircraft's fuel control switches. However, the firm pointed out that outdated legal frameworks currently prevent families from participating in the investigation. According to a report in Business Standard, James Healy-Pratt, Aviation Partner at Keystone, said, "the families now understand there is a more defined area of investigation, but one of their bigger concerns is that they are excluded from this safety investigation." He argued that a system should be placed allowing expert representation for those families that can feed into the combined safety work that's going on. "And let’s not forget, this aircraft is a global product,” he said, highlighting the involvement of the Indian AAIB, British AAIB, and US authorities. “Families should ideally have a voice in that process.”

The investigation branch is also reviewing this preliminary report in detail and is in communication with AAIB India. The UK-based AAIB said that the release of information on the investigation rests solely with the Indian authorities under international protocols.

UK investigative agency reviewing AAIB's Air India AI171 crash report publish— Here's what experts say

After assessing the AAIB's preliminary report, many aviation experts gave a clean chit of sorts to the pilots of the Air India plane that crashed last month, claiming they had acted within aviation norms. These experts blamed a technical fault in the plane for the crash that killed 241 passengers and crew, and 19 people on the ground. The agency today said in its report, citing the pilots' conversation in the cockpit, that the fuel switch had turned off, and both of them declined to have done that. The pilots attempted to restart the engines but failed, which, experts said, pointed to a grave issue with the engines themselves.&nbsp;"From the report I have seen, there was no other reason for the aircraft to go down but the manufacturing part...It appears that the fuel was cut off on takeoff. The voice recorder makes it clear that neither the commander nor the co-pilot switched off the jet fuel switch. This is obviously some fault within the aircraft that the jet fuel switch turned off automatically," said aviation expert Sanat Kaul.&nbsp;Ehsan Khalid, another aviation expert, explained how the fuel cut-off switch works.&nbsp;"The fuel cut-off switch is a physical switch; it has to be moved from one position to another, and it has to be moved from that position back. There is no automation involved in it. What automation is involved is the fuel shut-off valve. It has transitioned from run to cut-off or ON to OFF, if that is what was being recorded, and if AAIB meant then it is a different thing, but fuel switches being moved up and down automatically does not happen. So, the AAIB report has made some of the answers right, some of the speculations are out of the window," he said.&nbsp;Khalid backed the deceased pilots, saying they were right in trying to switch on the cut-off switch.&nbsp;"Pilot action was 100 per cent right, they tried to revive the engine, which is further corroborated by the fact that there was some movement of the fuel cut-off switch. The fact remains that the engine power was lost without pilot input is confirmed," he said.&nbsp;He said the fuel control shut-off valve might have shut off.&nbsp;"The aircraft took off without any problem, till 3 seconds after it lifted off, at 39 seconds, it left the ground, at 42 seconds, both engines lost power. The report says fuel cut-off switches, transitioned from run to cut-off in 1 1-second interval; thereafter engine continued to be in that position till the next 10 seconds, thereafter the switches transitioned from cut-off to run position. There is no aircraft mechanism that moves the control switches. What has moved is the fuel control shut-off valve...In my opinion, there is no way the switch can move on its own...The pilots did not do it," he added.&nbsp;Veteran pilot and aviation expert Amit Singh said the switch cannot turn off on its own.&nbsp;"They have ruled out every other thing, it is certain that both engines had shut down, they may have shut down because of the fuel control switches being selected off, how did they go off, because of technical defect, or human intervention, the design is such that it cannot automatically go on and off...Time will tell why it happened, there could be the contributory causes...Multiple effects can result in accidents; it has to be a very detailed investigation," he added.&nbsp;Flight data recovered from the aircraft's Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR) revealed that the fuel cutoff switches for both engines were inadvertently moved from RUN to CUTOFF, one after the other within a 1-second interval. Within seconds, one pilot asked the other if he had switched off the fuel. The other replied, saying he didn't.

After assessing the AAIB's preliminary report, many aviation experts gave a clean chit of sorts to the pilots of the Air India plane that crashed last month, claiming they had acted within aviation norms.

After assessing the AAIB's preliminary report, many aviation experts gave a clean chit of sorts to the pilots of the Air India plane that crashed last month, claiming they had acted within aviation norms. These experts blamed a technical fault in the plane for the crash that killed 241 passengers and crew, and 19 people on the ground. The agency today said in its report, citing the pilots' conversation in the cockpit, that the fuel switch had turned off, and both of them declined to have done that. The pilots attempted to restart the engines but failed, which, experts said, pointed to a grave issue with the engines themselves. "From the report I have seen, there was no other reason for the aircraft to go down but the manufacturing part...It appears that the fuel was cut off on takeoff. The voice recorder makes it clear that neither the commander nor the co-pilot switched off the jet fuel switch. This is obviously some fault within the aircraft that the jet fuel switch turned off automatically," said aviation expert Sanat Kaul. Ehsan Khalid, another aviation expert, explained how the fuel cut-off switch works. "The fuel cut-off switch is a physical switch; it has to be moved from one position to another, and it has to be moved from that position back. There is no automation involved in it. What automation is involved is the fuel shut-off valve. It has transitioned from run to cut-off or ON to OFF, if that is what was being recorded, and if AAIB meant then it is a different thing, but fuel switches being moved up and down automatically does not happen. So, the AAIB report has made some of the answers right, some of the speculations are out of the window," he said. Khalid backed the deceased pilots, saying they were right in trying to switch on the cut-off switch. "Pilot action was 100 per cent right, they tried to revive the engine, which is further corroborated by the fact that there was some movement of the fuel cut-off switch. The fact remains that the engine power was lost without pilot input is confirmed," he said. He said the fuel control shut-off valve might have shut off. "The aircraft took off without any problem, till 3 seconds after it lifted off, at 39 seconds, it left the ground, at 42 seconds, both engines lost power. The report says fuel cut-off switches, transitioned from run to cut-off in 1 1-second interval; thereafter engine continued to be in that position till the next 10 seconds, thereafter the switches transitioned from cut-off to run position. There is no aircraft mechanism that moves the control switches. What has moved is the fuel control shut-off valve...In my opinion, there is no way the switch can move on its own...The pilots did not do it," he added. Veteran pilot and aviation expert Amit Singh said the switch cannot turn off on its own. "They have ruled out every other thing, it is certain that both engines had shut down, they may have shut down because of the fuel control switches being selected off, how did they go off, because of technical defect, or human intervention, the design is such that it cannot automatically go on and off...Time will tell why it happened, there could be the contributory causes...Multiple effects can result in accidents; it has to be a very detailed investigation," he added. Flight data recovered from the aircraft's Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR) revealed that the fuel cutoff switches for both engines were inadvertently moved from RUN to CUTOFF, one after the other within a 1-second interval. Within seconds, one pilot asked the other if he had switched off the fuel. The other replied, saying he didn't.

Flight data recovered from the aircraft's Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR) revealed that the fuel cutoff switches for both engines were inadvertently moved from RUN to CUTOFF.

Air India crash: Experts assess AAIB report, float new 'fuel shut-off valve' theory

India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its initial report into the Air India plane crash that killed 260 people, pointing out that within seconds of takeoff, the engine switches were moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position. Even though the report didn't apportion blame for the June 12 accident, it provided a possible explanation for what went wrong. The report also revealed to the public the sequence of events that led to one of the biggest disasters in aviation history.<h2>Here's the sequence of events as well as the key findings of the AAIB report</h2><ol><li>The Air India Dreamliner VT-ANB landed in Ahmedabad from New Delhi as AI423.</li><li>Nearly three hours later, after ground clearance, the aircraft lifted. "The aircraft air/ground sensors transitioned to air mode, consistent with liftoff," the report said.</li><li>The aircraft reached its maximum airspeed of 180 knots. After that, the report said: “Immediately thereafter, the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 sec.”</li><li>The Engine N1 and N2 began to decrease from their take-off values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off, it added.</li><li>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.</li><li>The CCTV footage obtained from the airport showed Ram Air Turbine (RAT) getting deployed during the initial climb immediately after lift-off</li><li>The aircraft started to lose altitude before crossing the airport perimeter wall.</li><li>Both engines' values "passed below minimum idle speed", and the RAT hydraulic pump began supplying hydraulic power.</li><li>Engine 1 fuel cutoff switch transitioned from CUTOFF to RUN.&nbsp;</li><li>Engine 2 fuel cutoff switch also transitions from CUTOFF to RUN.</li><li>When fuel control switches are moved from CUTOFF to RUN while the aircraft is in flight, each engine's full authority dual engine control (FADEC) automatically manages a relight and thrust recovery sequence of ignition and fuel introduction, the report explained.</li><li>Engine 1’s core deceleration stopped, reversed, and started to progress to recovery.&nbsp;</li><li>Engine 2 was able to relight but could not arrest core speed deceleration and reintroduced fuel repeatedly to increase core speed acceleration and recovery.</li><li>One of the two pilots sounded "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" alert.</li><li>Data recording stopped.</li></ol><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-india-crash-report-can-pilots-accidentally-shut-engines-run-cutoff-switches-1-sec-gap-confounds-experts-1752289638147">Also read: Air India crash: Can pilots accidentally shut engines? 'RUN-CUTOFF' switches, 1-second gap confound experts</a>The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was headed from Ahmedabad to London when it crashed. 241 people, including crew members, were killed. One person miraculously walked away unhurt. 19 people died on the ground. Among the dead were 169 Indians, 53 Britishers, seven Portuguese, and a Canadian.

India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its initial report into the Air India plane crash that killed 260 people, pointing out that within seconds of takeoff, the engine switches were moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position. 

India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its initial report into the Air India plane crash that killed 260 people, pointing out that within seconds of takeoff, the engine switches were moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position. Even though the report didn't apportion blame for the June 12 accident, it provided a possible explanation for what went wrong. The report also revealed to the public the sequence of events that led to one of the biggest disasters in aviation history. Here's the sequence of events as well as the key findings of the AAIB report The Air India Dreamliner VT-ANB landed in Ahmedabad from New Delhi as AI423. Nearly three hours later, after ground clearance, the aircraft lifted. "The aircraft air/ground sensors transitioned to air mode, consistent with liftoff," the report said. The aircraft reached its maximum airspeed of 180 knots. After that, the report said: “Immediately thereafter, the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 sec.” The Engine N1 and N2 began to decrease from their take-off values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off, it added. 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 CCTV footage obtained from the airport showed Ram Air Turbine (RAT) getting deployed during the initial climb immediately after lift-off The aircraft started to lose altitude before crossing the airport perimeter wall. Both engines' values "passed below minimum idle speed", and the RAT hydraulic pump began supplying hydraulic power. Engine 1 fuel cutoff switch transitioned from CUTOFF to RUN. Engine 2 fuel cutoff switch also transitions from CUTOFF to RUN. When fuel control switches are moved from CUTOFF to RUN while the aircraft is in flight, each engine's full authority dual engine control (FADEC) automatically manages a relight and thrust recovery sequence of ignition and fuel introduction, the report explained. 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. One of the two pilots sounded "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" alert. Data recording stopped. Also read: Air India crash: Can pilots accidentally shut engines? 'RUN-CUTOFF' switches, 1-second gap confound experts The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was headed from Ahmedabad to London when it crashed. 241 people, including crew members, were killed. One person miraculously walked away unhurt. 19 people died on the ground. Among the dead were 169 Indians, 53 Britishers, seven Portuguese, and a Canadian.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was headed from Ahmedabad to London when it crashed. 241 people, including crew members, were killed. One person miraculously walked away unhurt. 19 people died on the ground.

AAIB report: How Air India plane crashed? Sequence of events in 15 points

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'Incorrect and speculative': AAIB denies report claiming investigation in Air India AI-171 crash is complete

UK investigative agency reviewing AAIB's Air India AI171 crash report publish

AI crash: Experts assess AAIB report, float new 'fuel shut-off valve' theory

AAIB report: How Air India plane crashed? Sequence of events in 15 points