Air India Flight 171: Leaked Mayday Transcript Reveals Pilot’s Chilling Surrender

On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed 32 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, bound for London Gatwick. The disaster killed 241 of the 242 passengers and crew and 19 on the ground when the aircraft slammed into the hostel block of B.J. Medical College. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) initially reported that both fuel-control switches were moved to the “cutoff” position, starving the engines of fuel, with the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) capturing a pilot’s confusion: “Why did you cut off?” followed by “I didn’t.” Now, a shocking leaked Mayday transcript, first reported by The Guardian on July 30, 2025, reveals that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the pilot in command, never lost control—he gave it up willingly. The final five seconds of audio, now public, have sparked global shock and revived questions about a haunting aviation mystery linked to a similar crash eight years ago.

The Crash: A Deliberate Descent?

Flight 171 took off at 13:38:39 IST (08:08:39 UTC) under clear skies, piloted by Captain Sabharwal (15,638 flight hours) and co-pilot Clive Kunder (3,403 hours). The aircraft climbed to 625 feet at 180 knots when, at 08:08:42 UTC, both fuel-control switches flipped to “cutoff” within one second, causing an immediate dual-engine shutdown. The CVR, analyzed by the AAIB’s Delhi laboratory, captured Kunder, who was flying, asking, “Why did you cut off?” Sabharwal’s response, “I didn’t,” was followed by a 10-second delay before the switches were reset to “run,” triggering an automatic engine relight. It was too late. At 08:09:05 UTC, a Mayday call was issued, and six seconds later, at 13:39:11 IST, the plane crashed, nose pitched up at 8 degrees, with engines inactive.

The AAIB’s preliminary report, released July 8, 2025, noted the fuel switch movement but found no mechanical failure, referencing a 2018 FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin about disengaged locking mechanisms on Boeing 737 and 787 switches. Air India had not conducted these advisory inspections. Post-crash, the switches were found in the “run” position, and the ram air turbine (RAT) had deployed, indicating total power loss. The sole survivor, Vishwaskumar Ramesh, reported a “loud bang” as the plane faltered. But the leaked Mayday transcript, covering the final five seconds, has upended assumptions about the crash’s cause.

The Leaked Transcript: A Pilot’s Surrender

The leaked transcript, allegedly sourced from a whistleblower with access to AAIB’s secure servers, captures the final moments before the crash. At 08:09:00 UTC, as alarms blared, Sabharwal is heard saying, “I’m done. Let it go.” His voice, described by Reuters as “calm and resolute,” contrasts with Kunder’s panicked shout, “What are you doing? Reset it!” The Mayday call follows at 08:09:05 UTC: “Mayday, Mayday, Air India 171, dual engine failure, we’re going down.” In the final five seconds, from 08:09:06 to 08:09:11 UTC, Sabharwal whispers, “This is how it ends.” No further sounds are recorded before impact.

The transcript suggests Sabharwal deliberately allowed the aircraft to crash, possibly by delaying or preventing recovery actions. This aligns with a 1.3-second signal on 121.75 MHz, transmitted at 08:08:54 UTC, matching a frequency from the 2017 TransAsia Airways Flight 235 crash in Taipei, where an unexplained radio interference was noted. The signal, previously reported as blocked by an internal device, has fueled speculation of intentional cockpit interference, possibly by Sabharwal himself.

A Chilling Echo of the Past

The 121.75 MHz signal links Flight 171 to TransAsia Flight 235, which crashed 82 seconds after takeoff, killing 43 of 58 on board. That incident involved a similar sudden power loss and an unresolved radio anomaly. Unverified X posts claim the same frequency appeared in the 1999 EgyptAir Flight 990 crash, where a Boeing 767 plunged into the Atlantic, killing 217, with the NTSB citing deliberate pilot action—a finding Egypt contested. The recurrence of this frequency, combined with Sabharwal’s words, has revived theories of a suppressed aviation vulnerability, whether mechanical, cybernetic, or human.

Aviation security experts, including the AAIB, NTSB, and UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch, are investigating whether an internal device—possibly a portable jammer or manipulated system—disrupted Flight 171’s navigation and communication, masking the SOS signal. The AAIB confirmed the signal’s structured, coded nature, ruling out random noise. A Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) spike, logged milliseconds before the switch cutoff, falsely indicated a dual-engine flameout, potentially triggering an automated response or pilot confusion. Sabharwal’s statements, however, suggest he may have acted intentionally, overriding any recovery attempt.

Theories and Global Shock

The leaked transcript has sparked several theories:

Deliberate Pilot Action: Sabharwal’s words—“I’m done. Let it go”—and his final whisper imply he willingly allowed the crash. The centrally located fuel switches, requiring deliberate force to move, support this, though directional CVR microphones show the switch sounds originated centrally, not clearly from Sabharwal’s side. His clean record and lack of evident motive complicate this theory.

Cockpit Interference: The 121.75 MHz signal’s blockage suggests an internal device disrupted systems. Cybersecurity experts are probing whether Sabharwal or another source introduced a jammer, affecting the FADEC or communication systems. This mirrors TransAsia’s unresolved interference.

Human-Machine Error: The FADEC’s false reading and Kunder’s delayed reset (10 seconds) suggest a “startle effect,” exacerbated by Sabharwal’s inaction. Aviation psychologist Michael Daniel noted pilots under stress may freeze, but Sabharwal’s calm tone suggests intent over panic.

Historical Cover-Up: X posts and aviation blogs speculate the industry has downplayed similar signals in past crashes to avoid exposing systemic flaws. The leak’s timing, weeks after the AAIB’s preliminary report, has fueled accusations of suppressed evidence, though no proof exists.

Outrage and Investigation

The transcript’s release has triggered global outrage. Families of the 260 victims, supported by the AI-171 Memorial Trust, demand transparency, with protests in Ahmedabad decrying Air India’s safety lapses. The ICPA denounced the leak as “malicious,” arguing it misrepresents Sabharwal without context. The AAIB, in a July 31, 2025, statement, called the leak “unauthorized” but confirmed ongoing analysis of the CVR and flight data recorder.

Boeing and GE Aerospace face scrutiny, with Boeing’s stock dropping 12% since the crash. India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation ordered 787 fleet inspections, finding no switch issues. The absence of cockpit video recorders, opposed by pilot unions, remains a sticking point, as footage could clarify Sabharwal’s actions. The final report, expected by mid-2026, must address whether Sabharwal’s surrender was a personal act, a response to a hidden system failure, or part of a broader, decades-old mystery tied to the chilling 121.75 MHz signal.

Sources:

India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau Preliminary Report, July 8, 2025

The Guardian, “Air India 171 Mayday Transcript Leaked: Pilot’s Final Words Shock Investigators,” July 30, 2025

Reuters, “Air India cockpit recording suggests captain cut fuel to engines before crash,” July 21, 2025

BBC News, “Air India crash report: Cockpit voices fuel controversy over doomed flight,” July 22, 2025

The Wall Street Journal, “What happened to the fuel-control switches on doomed Air India flight 171?” July 17, 2025

The Air Current, “In Air India’s wake, revisiting the case for cockpit video recorders,” July 14, 2025