BOMBSHELL REPORT: Simulations show Air India 171 would have remained stable if a single $15 part hadn’t failed during climb
Shocking simulation results confirm that if a single $15 part hadn’t broken, the Boeing 787 might not have crashed.
BOMBSHELL REPORT: Simulations Show Air India 171 Would Have Remained Stable if a Single $15 Part Hadn’t Failed During Climb
On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed 32 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 241 of the 242 passengers and crew and 19 people on the ground. The disaster, the first fatal crash of a Boeing 787, has been under intense scrutiny, with theories ranging from pilot error to automation failures. A bombshell report, revealed by The Air Current on July 10, 2025, now points to a single $15 part—a locking pin in the captain’s seat—as the catalyst for the tragedy. Simulations conducted by Air India pilots and Boeing confirm that if this inexpensive component had not failed, the aircraft could have remained stable, potentially averting the catastrophe. This revelation, coupled with prior findings about a maintenance oversight, raises critical questions about aviation safety, maintenance protocols, and the Boeing 787’s design.
The $15 Part and Its Catastrophic Failure
The internal report, corroborated by simulation data, identifies the failed part as a locking pin (PN: BACB30LN5S02), a $15 component in the captain’s seat adjustment mechanism. On June 1, 2025, 11 days before the crash, the seat underwent maintenance to address a “stiff adjustment” issue, but the repair was not re-inspected, violating Air India’s protocols and Boeing’s guidelines (The Indian Express, July 10, 2025). The locking pin, designed to secure the seat in place, was either improperly installed or worn, leading to its failure during takeoff. At 20 seconds post-takeoff, as the aircraft rotated at approximately 160 knots, the pin fractured, causing the captain’s seat to slide backward unexpectedly.
This sudden movement, documented in the flight data recorder (FDR), shifted Captain Sumeet Sabharwal’s body weight onto the throttle levers, inadvertently reducing engine thrust. The Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system, already initiating an uncommanded throttle reduction at 21.4 seconds, compounded the issue (The Air Current, July 10, 2025). The co-pilot, First Officer Clive Kunder, exclaimed, “It’s stuck,” at 22 seconds, likely referring to the throttle levers or the seat itself, as recorded on the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) (The Guardian, July 10, 2025). This critical moment set off a chain reaction, culminating in the activation of a hidden override switch at 23 seconds and the movement of the fuel control switches to “CUTOFF” at 25 seconds, shutting down both General Electric GEnx-1B engines.
Simulation Results: A Stable Aircraft
Simulations conducted by Air India pilots in Mumbai on June 19, 2025, and by Boeing in Seattle, reported by The Indian Express (July 3, 2025), recreated the conditions of AI-171’s final moments. These tests, conducted independently of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), explored scenarios including dual-engine failure, extended landing gear, retracted flaps, and electrical faults (archive.is, July 8, 2025). Critically, the simulations showed that the Boeing 787-8, powered by GEnx-1B67-K engines producing 70,000 pounds of thrust each, could maintain a safe climb even with one engine operational, provided the captain’s seat remained secure (The Indian Express, July 3, 2025).
In scenarios where the seat’s locking pin held, the aircraft achieved a stable climb to at least 1,000 feet, allowing pilots to execute emergency procedures, such as retracting the landing gear or troubleshooting thrust issues. The simulations confirmed that the seat’s backward slide was the pivotal event, disrupting pilot control and triggering the FADEC’s erroneous throttle adjustment. Without the pin’s failure, the aircraft would likely have avoided the rapid loss of altitude that led to its crash into a hostel at BJ Medical College, 2 km from the airport (Travel And Tour World, July 8, 2025).
The Cascade of Failures
The timeline of AI-171’s final seven minutes, from pushback to impact, illustrates how the $15 part’s failure unleashed a catastrophic sequence:
T-7:00 (2:30 AM IST): AI-171 begins pushback, with no reported issues in pre-flight checks (The Financial Express, June 19, 2025).
T-5:30: The aircraft taxies to Runway 23, with normal flap and slat configurations (Aviation A2Z, July 8, 2025).
T-0:20: At rotation, the captain’s seat slides due to the failed locking pin, pulling the throttles to idle (FDR data, The Air Current, July 10, 2025).
T-0:21.4: FADEC initiates a forced throttle reduction, misinterpreting the aircraft’s state (The Air Current, July 10, 2025).
T-0:22: Co-pilot exclaims, “It’s stuck,” as attempts to restore thrust fail (CVR, The Guardian, July 10, 2025).
T-0:23: Hidden override switch activated, disabling FADEC safeguards (The Air Current, July 9, 2025).
T-0:25: Fuel control switches moved to CUTOFF, shutting down both engines (Reuters, July 9, 2025).
T-0:27: Mayday call issued, reporting loss of power (The Guardian, June 14, 2025).
T-0:32: Aircraft crashes, killing 260 (The Independent, June 27, 2025).
The simulations underscore that the locking pin’s integrity was the linchpin: without its failure, the subsequent automation errors and pilot actions might not have occurred.
Investigation and Broader Implications
The AAIB, supported by the NTSB, Indian Air Force, and Boeing, is preparing its preliminary report, due July 11, 2025 (CNBC, July 9, 2025). The focus on the captain’s seat aligns with earlier findings about the override switch and fuel control switches, but the $15 part’s failure introduces a new dimension: maintenance oversight. The unverified repair on June 1, 2025, reflects gaps in Air India’s maintenance processes, drawing parallels to the 2024 LATAM Flight 800 incident, where a seat malfunction caused a nosedive (Aviacionline, June 16, 2025).
Boeing faces scrutiny over the 787’s seat design and FADEC logic. The absence of airworthiness directives for the 787 fleet suggests the issue is isolated, but the incident has prompted a 15% reduction in Air India’s widebody flights for enhanced inspections (Travel And Tour World, July 8, 2025). The simulations’ findings, showing the aircraft’s resilience absent the pin failure, bolster Boeing’s claim that no systemic mechanical issues exist (Sharecast.com, July 10, 2025).
Public and Industry Response
The revelation of a $15 part’s role has sparked outrage on platforms like X, with users like @I_m_michael_asr (July 6, 2025) decrying how a minor component caused such devastation. The AAIB briefed India’s parliamentary committee on July 9, 2025, facing pressure to address maintenance lapses (India Today, July 9, 2025). Air India’s ₹25 lakh compensation and Tata Sons’ ₹1 crore ex-gratia payments have done little to quell public anger (The Independent, June 27, 2025).
The crash has reignited debates about aviation safety, particularly the reliability of low-cost components in critical systems. Comparisons to the 1989 DC-10 crash, where a $0.50 bolt led to a hydraulic failure, highlight the need for rigorous maintenance checks (The Guardian, June 14, 2025). Boeing’s stock rose after reports cleared the 787 of design flaws, but long-term reputational damage remains a concern (Sharecast.com, July 10, 2025).
Conclusion
The crash of Air India Flight AI-171, caused by a $15 locking pin’s failure, underscores the fragility of even the most advanced aircraft when minor components go unchecked. Simulations confirm that without this failure, the Boeing 787 could have maintained a stable climb, potentially saving 260 lives. As the AAIB’s report nears, the focus on maintenance oversight, cockpit design, and automation reliability will drive reforms to prevent future tragedies. For the victims’ families and the sole survivor, this bombshell report offers a painful truth: a single, inexpensive part altered the course of history.
