INVESTIGATION CROSSROADS: Air India 171 Crash Inquiry Clashes with AAIB’s Silence as Global Pilots Warn of Unfair Blame—Echoes of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 Loss
On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick from Ahmedabad, India, crashed just 32 seconds after takeoff, claiming 260 lives and leaving one sole survivor. The tragedy, one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters in decades, has sparked intense scrutiny and speculation. A preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), released on July 8, 2025, revealed a perplexing detail: the aircraft’s fuel control switches were moved to the “cutoff” position seconds after takeoff, starving the engines of fuel and causing a catastrophic loss of thrust. Cockpit voice recordings captured one pilot asking, “Why did you cut off?” with the other responding, “I did not do so,” deepening the mystery surrounding the crash. The report, however, stopped short of assigning blame, leaving investigators, aviation experts, and the public grappling for answers.
This lack of clarity has fueled controversy, with the AAIB facing criticism for its selective disclosure and perceived silence on critical details. The Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) and the Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA India) have condemned what they call “reckless” and “premature” media speculation, particularly from Western outlets like The Wall Street Journal, which suggested that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the pilot-in-command, may have deliberately or accidentally toggled the fuel switches. Such claims have drawn sharp rebukes from Indian pilot groups, who argue that pinning blame on the crew without verified evidence is irresponsible and insensitive to the victims’ families. The AAIB itself issued a statement on July 17, 2025, slamming “selective and unverified reporting” and emphasizing that the investigation remains ongoing, with a final report expected by June 2026.
The Air India 171 crash has drawn parallels to another recent aviation tragedy: the loss of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243, a crash that similarly sparked debates over pilot blame and investigative transparency. While details of Flight 8243 remain sparse, posts on X and global pilot organizations have highlighted a pattern of premature conclusions in both cases, with aviation communities warning against scapegoating pilots before comprehensive data is analyzed. The uproar surrounding both incidents underscores a broader tension in aviation accident investigations: the balance between transparency, public demand for answers, and the need to avoid hasty judgments that could tarnish reputations or obscure technical issues.
The Air India 171 Crash: A Haunting Mystery
The preliminary report on Air India Flight 171, a 15-page document, outlined a chilling sequence of events. The Boeing 787-8, registered VT-ANB, took off from Ahmedabad at 13:38 IST on June 12, 2025, with 242 passengers and crew aboard. Just three seconds after reaching a maximum airspeed of 180 knots, both fuel control switches moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” within a second of each other, causing both General Electric GEnx-1B engines to shut down. The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) captured the pilots’ confusion, with one questioning the other about the cutoff and the other denying responsibility. Despite attempts to restore power—evidenced by the switches being returned to “RUN” and one engine beginning to relight—the aircraft, at just 625 feet, could not recover and crashed into a medical college hostel, killing 241 onboard and 19 on the ground.
Investigators have ruled out fuel contamination, confirming that samples from the refueling tanks were satisfactory. The aircraft itself, delivered to Air India in 2014, was deemed airworthy, with no significant maintenance issues reported. However, a 2018 US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advisory noted potential flaws in the fuel control switch locking mechanism on some Boeing aircraft, including the 787-8. This advisory, which was not mandatory, was not acted upon by Air India, raising questions about whether a mechanical or electronic fault could have triggered the switches. Former AAIB investigator Captain Kishore Chinta suggested that the plane’s electronic control unit (ECU) might have caused an unintended cutoff, a theory that remains under investigation.
The pilots, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder, were experienced and well-rested, having passed breathalyzer tests before the flight. Sabharwal, 56, had over 15,600 flight hours, including 8,596 on the 787, while Kunder, 32, had 3,403 hours, with 1,128 on the Dreamliner. The report noted that Kunder was the pilot flying, while Sabharwal monitored systems and communications. The lack of clarity over who said what in the CVR has fueled speculation, with some media outlets inferring that Sabharwal, as the monitoring pilot, may have accessed the switches. However, experts like Shawn Pruchnicki, a former airline accident investigator, argue that such an error is unlikely without evident cockpit confusion or an emergency prompting mistaken actions.
Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243: Echoes of Controversy
While specific details about Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 are limited, the crash has similarly stirred debate within the aviation community. Posts on X suggest that the incident, like Air India 171, prompted swift media speculation about pilot error, drawing criticism from global pilot organizations. The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) has echoed the sentiments of Indian pilot groups, urging restraint in assigning blame until investigations are complete. The parallels between the two crashes lie not only in the loss of life but also in the public and media pressure for immediate answers, often at the expense of thorough analysis.
In both cases, the lack of transparency from investigative bodies has been a focal point of criticism. For Air India 171, the AAIB’s decision to withhold the full CVR transcript and provide only paraphrased excerpts has raised questions about whether the agency is protecting sensitive information or struggling to identify the speakers. Peter Goelz, a former NTSB managing director, has called for the release of a time-stamped transcript to clarify the pilots’ actions and statements. Similarly, the Azerbaijan Airlines investigation has faced scrutiny for its slow pace and limited disclosures, leaving room for misinformation to proliferate.
The Role of Media and Public Perception
The Air India 171 investigation has been marred by what the AAIB calls “irresponsible” reporting, particularly from Western media. A Wall Street Journal report on July 17, 2025, citing unnamed US sources, suggested that Captain Sabharwal may have deliberately or accidentally turned off the fuel switches, prompting a strong rebuttal from the AAIB and Indian pilot groups. The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) labeled such claims as “premature and irresponsible,” arguing that they undermine the crew’s professionalism and cause distress to grieving families. Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), also criticized speculative media reports, emphasizing that investigations of this magnitude require time and rigor.
This rush to judgment mirrors the aftermath of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243, where pilot groups similarly decried media narratives that leaned heavily on human error without conclusive evidence. The global aviation community, including organizations like ALPA India and IFALPA, has called for greater transparency in investigations to counter misinformation. In the case of Air India 171, the absence of cockpit video—lamented by experts like Goelz—has further complicated efforts to definitively identify who or what caused the switch movement.
Technical vs. Human Factors: An Ongoing Debate
The Air India 171 investigation is at a crossroads, with two primary theories under consideration: human error or a technical malfunction. The fuel control switches, designed with a locking mechanism to prevent accidental movement, require deliberate action to toggle, making an inadvertent bump unlikely. However, the CVR’s indication of pilot confusion suggests that neither Sabharwal nor Kunder intentionally cut the fuel. This has led investigators to explore whether an automation issue, such as a fault in the ECU, could have triggered the cutoff. Simulator experiments conducted by Air India training captains found that even with one engine operational, the aircraft should have been able to climb safely, pointing to the rapid sequence of events as a critical factor in the crash.
The Azerbaijan Airlines crash has similarly raised questions about whether technical issues were overlooked in favor of pilot blame. In both cases, the absence of urgent safety recommendations from investigative bodies suggests that no immediate mechanical flaws have been identified, but the possibility of undetected issues in the Boeing 787’s systems remains a concern. The 2018 FAA advisory on fuel switch locking mechanisms, though not mandatory, has drawn renewed attention, with some experts questioning why Air India did not conduct the recommended inspections.
The Path Forward
As the Air India 171 investigation progresses, the AAIB, supported by experts from Boeing, General Electric, the NTSB, and the UK AAIB, faces the daunting task of piecing together the wreckage and data to uncover the root cause. Families of the victims, like Badasab Syed, who lost four relatives in the crash, are left with more questions than answers, frustrated by the lack of closure. The AAIB has pledged regular updates, but the final report, expected by June 2026, will be critical in determining whether the crash was due to human error, a technical fault, or an unprecedented combination of factors.
The Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 investigation, though less documented, follows a similar trajectory, with pilot groups advocating for patience and transparency. Both crashes highlight the challenges of modern aviation investigations in an era of instant media and public scrutiny. As global pilot bodies warn against unfair blame, the aviation industry must navigate the delicate balance between honoring the victims, protecting the reputation of crews, and ensuring that lessons learned prevent future tragedies. Until the final reports are released, the mysteries of Air India 171 and Azerbaijan Airlines 8243 will continue to haunt the skies, reminding us of the high stakes of aviation safety.
