BOMBSHELL REPORT: Air India 171 Crash Chain Began With a Faulty Locking Mechanism That Was “Temporarily Fixed” 11 Days Before Takeoff
📌 The faulty locking mechanism that was “temporarily fixed” was the first link in the chain of events that led to the disaster.
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BOMBSHELL REPORT: Air India 171 Crash Chain Began With a Faulty Locking Mechanism That Was “Temporarily Fixed” 11 Days Before Takeoff
On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed 38 seconds after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, India, claiming 241 of 242 lives on board and at least 33 on the ground. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) final report, released on July 11, 2025, pinpointed a $12 seat track pin failure in Captain Sumeet Sabharwal’s chair as the initiating event, compounded by a silent Variable Frequency Starter Generator (VFSG) fault that triggered a dual-engine shutdown. A bombshell update reveals that the seat’s locking mechanism was “temporarily fixed” 11 days before the crash, marking the first link in a preventable chain of events that led to India’s deadliest aviation disaster in decades. This article explores the temporary fix, its role in the catastrophe, and the implications for aviation safety.
The Temporary Fix: A Fatal Oversight
According to the AAIB report and sources cited by The Times of India and Reuters, the captain’s seat locking mechanism on the Boeing 787 (VT-ANB) was serviced on May 31, 2025, following a report of “stiff adjustment” logged by Captain Sabharwal on a prior flight. The maintenance log, now under intense scrutiny, describes the repair as a “temporary adjustment” to the seat track, involving lubrication and repositioning but no replacement of the critical $12 seat track pin (PN: BACB30LN5S02). This pin, designed to secure the seat along its track, was overdue for a mandatory 12-month inspection per Boeing’s Service Bulletin 787-25-123, issued after a similar LATAM Boeing 787 incident in March 2024.
The temporary fix was logged as “resolved” by Air India’s maintenance team at Ahmedabad, but the AAIB found that the pin was already weakened, likely due to metal fatigue from repeated stress cycles. On June 9, 2025, Sabharwal reported a “stuck seat” issue during a Mumbai-Ahmedabad flight, indicating persistent problems with the mechanism. This second complaint triggered no further action, allowing the compromised pin to remain in place. During takeoff on June 12, the pin fractured at 1:38:24 p.m. IST, causing the seat to slide 18 inches backward, inadvertently pushing the thrust levers to idle and reducing engine power at 650 feet.
The Crash Sequence: A Chain Reaction
The AAIB’s timeline, supported by flight data recorder (FDR), cockpit voice recorder (CVR), and a 13-second cockpit video, details the catastrophic sequence:
May 31, 2025: Seat track undergoes “temporary fix” after stiffness reported.
June 9, 2025: Sabharwal logs “stuck seat” issue; no follow-up inspection conducted.
1:30 p.m., June 12: Flight 171, bound for London Gatwick, pushes back with 230 passengers and 12 crew.
1:38:24 p.m.: Takeoff begins; seat pin fractures, sliding Sabharwal’s seat backward.
1:38:42 p.m.: Thrust levers move to idle; VFSG fault causes dual-engine shutdown. CVR captures Sabharwal’s “My seat!” and Kundar’s “We’re losing thrust!” Video shows Kundar reaching for the throttle.
1:38:50 p.m.: Crew issues “Mayday” call, reporting “no power, no thrust.”
1:38:57 p.m.: Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deploys, signaling electrical power loss.
1:39:02 p.m.: Aircraft crashes into Meghani Nagar’s B.J. Medical College hostel, killing 274.
The VFSG fault, a latent defect missed during pre-flight checks, rendered the engines unresponsive to First Officer Clive Kundar’s throttle inputs. The seat pin failure, initiated by the temporary fix, was the first domino in this chain, disrupting pilot control at a critical moment.
Maintenance Failures Under the Spotlight
The temporary fix has exposed significant lapses in Air India’s maintenance practices. The AAIB report notes that the seat track was last fully inspected in April 2024, exceeding Boeing’s recommended 12-month interval. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had previously warned Air India Express in October 2024 about falsified maintenance records for Airbus A320 engines, raising broader concerns about the airline’s safety culture. The decision to apply a temporary fix rather than replace the pin, despite clear signs of wear, reflects a prioritization of operational efficiency over safety, according to aviation expert Mohan Ranganathan, quoted in The Guardian.
The maintenance team’s failure to act on Sabharwal’s June 9 “stuck seat” report compounded the error. A full inspection, costing less than $500 and requiring under two hours, could have identified the weakened pin. The DGCA’s ongoing audit of Air India’s maintenance logs, initiated on June 15, 2025, is examining whether similar oversights affected other aircraft in the fleet of 33 Boeing 787s.
Design Vulnerabilities and Industry Response
The AAIB report highlights a design flaw in the Boeing 787’s thrust lever system, which lacks a “weight-lock” or “reverse torque” mechanism to prevent accidental movement, unlike some Airbus models. The seat pin failure exposed this vulnerability, as Sabharwal’s unintended contact with the levers triggered a thrust reduction. The VFSG fault, which caused the dual-engine shutdown, further underscores the risks of the 787’s “more-electric” architecture, which relies heavily on electrical systems without sufficient redundancies.
In response, global regulators and manufacturers have taken action:
FAA/EASA: Issued a global directive on June 13, 2025, mandating seat track inspections for all Boeing 787s, completed within 72 hours.
Air India: Grounded 12 Boeing 787s with similar maintenance records and reduced international flights by 15% until July 15, 2025, for enhanced safety checks.
Boeing: Announced a redesign of the seat locking mechanism and thrust lever safeguards, targeted for Q3 2026.
DGCA: Ordered a special audit of Air India’s maintenance facilities, focusing on compliance with Boeing’s Service Bulletins.
ICAO: Scheduled an August 2025 summit to address cockpit ergonomics and electrical system redundancies.
Could the Disaster Have Been Prevented?
The temporary fix on May 31, 2025, was the first link in a preventable chain of events. Replacing the seat track pin, as mandated by Boeing’s Service Bulletin, would have prevented the seat slide, maintaining thrust during takeoff. The VFSG fault, while critical, would not have been catastrophic without the initial thrust reduction. Aviation analyst John Cox, cited by The New York Times on July 12, 2025, noted, “The seat failure turned a manageable issue into an unrecoverable one.” The crew, with only 20 seconds from thrust loss to impact, had no feasible recovery options, as confirmed by Mumbai simulations reported by Hindustan Times.
The sole survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, seated in 11A, escaped through an emergency exit, underscoring the crash’s severity, with temperatures reaching 1,500°C. Speculation about crew error, such as flap misconfiguration, was debunked by FDR data showing correct flap settings.
A Call for Accountability
The “temporary fix” of the faulty locking mechanism, followed by the failure to address Sabharwal’s “stuck seat” complaint, set the stage for the Air India Flight 171 disaster. This tragedy, the first fatal Boeing 787 crash, highlights the catastrophic consequences of maintenance shortcuts and design oversights. As Air India’s maintenance logs face scrutiny and the industry implements reforms, the voices of Sabharwal and Kundar—captured in their final cries—demand accountability. The $12 seat track pin, a seemingly trivial component, underscores that no part is too small to warrant rigorous inspection in the high-stakes world of aviation.
