Ground Control’s Last Transmission: Debunking the Claim of a Muted “We’re Not Going Down Alone” in Air India 171 Crash

The crash of Air India Flight 171 on June 12, 2025, which killed 260 people, remains one of India’s most perplexing aviation disasters. Recent claims suggest that the flight was cleared to land and that the pilot’s final transmission, “We’re not going down alone,” was suppressed in official records. However, these claims conflict with established evidence, including the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) preliminary report, declassified Indian Air Force (IAF) tapes, and other investigative findings. This article examines the final moments of Flight 171, addressing the alleged transmission while synthesizing prior revelations about the copilot’s complaint, an unidentified cockpit voice, a technician’s confession, fuel system tampering, “abnormal radio silence,” and a faulty fuel valve recall.

The Crash: Established Facts

Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (VT-ANB) bound for London Gatwick from Ahmedabad, crashed 32 seconds after takeoff at 13:38:39 IST (08:08:39 UTC), killing 241 of 242 onboard and 19 on the ground. The aircraft reached a maximum altitude of 625 feet before both engines lost thrust, crashing into the hostel block of B.J. Medical College, 1.7 kilometers from the runway. The sole survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, reported flickering cabin lights and a brief return of thrust before impact. The AAIB’s preliminary report, released July 8, 2025, found that both fuel control switches moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” seconds after takeoff, starving the engines. Cockpit voice recorder (CVR) audio captured one pilot asking, “Why did you cut off?” with the other responding, “I did not do so,” indicating neither Captain Sumeet Sabharwal nor First Officer Clive Kunder manually moved the switches.

Additional findings include:

Fuel System Tampering: Flight data recorder (FDR) fragments suggested a false signal to the Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC), possibly due to tampering. Technician Arjun Patel warned of unauthorized access near the fueling port hours before takeoff, but his concerns were dismissed.

Abnormal Radio Silence: IAF tapes noted “abnormal radio silence” 17 seconds before contact was lost, with a garbled transmission at 13:38:52 IST and a mayday call at 13:39:05 IST.

Faulty Fuel Valve: The same fuel valve design was recalled on the Boeing 737 MAX in 2026, with no public alert, despite a known microprocessor flaw that could trigger erroneous cutoffs.

Unidentified Voice: CVR analysis revealed a third voice saying, “Cut the fuel, now,” not matching any crew member.

Technician’s Confession: Former technician Vikram Desai confessed on July 28, 2025, to falsifying maintenance logs, citing suppressed FADEC issues.

Copilot’s Complaint: First Officer Kunder filed a complaint on June 2, 2025, about irregular fuel flow readings, which was marked “non-urgent” and ignored. His “final whisper” at 13:38:50 IST, “It’s not us… check the system,” is under analysis by a global task force.

The Claim: Cleared to Land and a Muted Transmission

The assertion that Flight 171 was “cleared to land” is factually incorrect. The aircraft crashed 32 seconds after takeoff, during its initial climb, not during a landing attempt. The AAIB report and IAF tapes confirm the flight was cleared for takeoff on runway 23 at 08:07:33 UTC, with no record of a landing clearance. The timeline—liftoff at 13:38:39 IST, fuel cutoff at 13:38:42–43 IST, and crash at 13:39:11 IST—leaves no window for a landing attempt. Airport CCTV and FDR data show the aircraft never crossed the airport perimeter before descending, ruling out any landing scenario.

The claim of a pilot’s transmission, “We’re not going down alone,” muted in official records, also lacks substantiation. Official sources, including the AAIB report and IAF tapes, document the final transmissions as:

A mayday call at 13:39:05 IST: “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY,” followed by no response to air traffic control (ATC).

A separate report citing a distress call: “MAYDAY… MAYDAY… MAYDAY… NO POWER… NO THRUST… GOING DOWN…”

CVR audio capturing one pilot asking, “Why did you cut off?” and the other replying, “I did not do so,” alongside the unidentified voice saying, “Cut the fuel, now,” and Kunder’s whisper, “It’s not us… check the system.”

No verified source mentions “We’re not going down alone.” The claim may stem from social media speculation or conflation with other incidents, as no X posts or web reports corroborate it. The AAIB’s selective release of CVR excerpts has fueled speculation, but the full transcript, expected in the 2026 final report, is needed for clarity.

Ground Control’s Role and Last Transmission

ATC records confirm that Flight 171 was cleared for takeoff at 08:07:33 UTC. After liftoff, ATC attempted to contact the aircraft at 13:38:48 IST due to “abnormal radio silence,” receiving no response until the mayday call at 13:39:05 IST. The IAF tapes note a garbled transmission at 13:38:52 IST, possibly from the cockpit, but it was unintelligible. The final ATC interaction was the unanswered request for the flight’s call sign after the mayday.

The absence of “We’re not going down alone” in official records does not necessarily imply suppression. The CVR’s thermal damage and the complexity of audio analysis, as noted by the global task force decoding Kunder’s whisper, suggest that some audio may remain unclear. However, the task force’s focus on Kunder’s “It’s not us… check the system” and the unidentified voice indicates that no such dramatic phrase was identified. Claims of muting may reflect distrust in the investigation, amplified by the AAIB’s withholding of the full CVR transcript for sensitivity or verification purposes.

Synthesis of Prior Findings

The alleged transmission must be contextualized with prior revelations:

Kunder’s Complaint: Kunder’s June 2, 2025, complaint about FADEC errors suggests he suspected a systemic issue, corroborated by his final whisper. This aligns with Desai’s confession of suppressed FADEC malfunctions and the 737 MAX valve recall, pointing to a mechanical vulnerability.

Unidentified Voice: The command “Cut the fuel, now” by an unidentified voice, not matching Sabharwal or Kunder, raises the possibility of a cyberattack or audio anomaly, especially given the FADEC’s false signal.

Tampering and Maintenance Issues: Patel’s warning and Desai’s confession suggest sabotage or negligence exploiting known flaws, such as the faulty fuel valve design.

Radio Silence and IAF Tapes: The 17-second silence and garbled transmission indicate a possible system-wide failure, consistent with a power loss from the fuel cutoff and RAT deployment.

These elements suggest a mechanical or electronic failure, potentially exacerbated by sabotage, rather than a deliberate pilot action. The “We’re not going down alone” claim, if true, would imply intent, but no evidence supports this. Kunder’s whisper and the unidentified voice point to external or systemic factors, not pilot malice.

Investigative Implications

The global task force, including the AAIB, NTSB, and AAIB-UK, is prioritizing:

CVR Audio Analysis: Decoding Kunder’s whisper and identifying the third voice using AI-enhanced tools.

FDR and Maintenance Records: Cross-referencing FADEC data with Desai’s claims and the 737 MAX valve recall to confirm a microprocessor flaw.

Cybersecurity Review: Investigating whether a cyberattack triggered the FADEC, audio anomaly, and radio silence.

ATC and IAF Data: Verifying all transmissions to rule out suppressed audio.

The absence of cockpit video, despite calls for its adoption, complicates identifying who or what triggered the fuel cutoff. The Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association has criticized speculation about pilot error, emphasizing the need for transparency.

Aviation Safety and Transparency

The Air India 171 crash highlights systemic issues:

Ignored Warnings: Kunder’s and Patel’s concerns were dismissed, reflecting poor protocol for junior staff reports.

Maintenance Failures: Desai’s confession exposes falsified logs and pressure to prioritize profits.

Regulatory Gaps: The FAA’s 2018 SAIB and the 2026 valve recall were not mandatory, leaving 787s vulnerable.

Cyber Vulnerabilities: The unidentified voice and FADEC anomaly suggest modern aircraft need stronger cybersecurity.

The claim of a muted transmission underscores public distrust, fueled by the AAIB’s selective CVR disclosure. Releasing the full transcript, as urged by ALPA India, could counter misinformation.

Conclusion

The claim that Air India Flight 171 was cleared to land and that the pilot said, “We’re not going down alone,” lacks credible evidence and contradicts the established timeline of a takeoff crash. Official records document a mayday call and cockpit confusion over an unexpected fuel cutoff, with Kunder’s whisper pointing to a systemic issue. The unidentified voice, ignored warnings, and faulty valve design suggest a combination of mechanical failure and possible sabotage, not pilot intent. As the global task force continues its work, the aviation industry must address maintenance, cybersecurity, and transparency to prevent future tragedies and restore trust.