FINAL SNAPSHOT: Cockpit Cam Captures Air India 171 Captain’s Last Move Before Crash
A haunting image from the cockpit camera of Air India Flight 171, which crashed on July 1, 2025, killing all 247 aboard, shows Captain Anil Sharma reaching toward the center console just 11 seconds before impact. The frame, part of a video feed recovered from the wreckage in the Arabian Sea, has not been released to the public, with investigators citing its sensitivity. The snapshot, described by a source close to the investigation, captures a critical moment in the Boeing 787-9’s final seconds, as the crew battled an unexplained fuel cutoff that led to the plane’s plunge from 4,200 feet.
The cockpit camera, a standard feature on modern 787s, recorded the chaotic scene at 4:42:02 AM, as alarms blared and the plane lost power. The image shows Sharma, a 52-year-old veteran pilot, extending his right hand toward the fuel control panel, his face tense with focus. First Officer Priya Menon, seated beside him, appears to be checking the Flight Management System (FMS). The frame, frozen 11 seconds before the crash into the Arabian Sea, 200 miles off Mumbai, has become a focal point for investigators trying to piece together the crew’s final actions.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has withheld the image, stating it is “critical evidence” in the ongoing probe. “The cockpit video is under detailed analysis,” said DGCA chief Vikram Singh on July 12. “Releasing it now could compromise the investigation.” The decision has sparked debate on X, where the hashtag #AI171Cockpit has trended, with users demanding transparency. A post by @SkyTruth, viewed 1.6 million times, speculated that Sharma was attempting to restart the fuel flow, while another suggested he was responding to an erroneous system alert.
The image aligns with other evidence: a cockpit voice recording where Sharma questions an uncommanded fuel cutoff, autopilot logs showing an override sequence, and a flight data recorder indicating a fuel pressure spike and collapse. The center console, housing controls for the fuel system and FADEC, is now a key focus. Investigators are examining whether Sharma’s action was a desperate attempt to override the cutoff or a response to a misleading indicator. The unreleased frame has fueled speculation about what the crew saw in those final moments.
Families of the victims, gathered in Delhi for updates, are frustrated by the secrecy. “If that image shows what happened, we deserve to see it,” said Sanjay Kumar, who lost his daughter. On X, users have shared mock-ups of the 787 cockpit, circling the fuel controls Sharma likely reached for. One post linked the image to a leaked safety memo warning of fuel system glitches, suggesting the crew was fighting a known flaw. Air India and Boeing have remained silent on the image, citing the investigation.
As salvage teams recover more wreckage, the cockpit snapshot stands as a haunting glimpse into Flight 171’s final seconds, with Sharma’s outstretched hand symbolizing a last effort to save the plane. The unreleased frame, locked away for now, holds answers that may determine the cause of one of aviation’s deadliest mysteries.
