The AAIB's preliminary report on the June 12 Air India Ahmedabad plane crash reveals that both engines' fuel switches moved to 'Cutoff' seconds after takeoff. Boeing has expressed condolences and pledged support to the investigation. The report notes Engine 1 began recovery, but Engine 2 failed to stabilize.
Debris remains of the Air India plane after crash. Image/File Pic
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, during the early hours of June 12, released the preliminary investigation report of the Ahmedabad plane crash, which took place on June 12, 2025. The aircraft manufacturer Boeing on Saturday also said that it continues to support the ongoing investigation into the Air India Flight AI171 crash. This statement from a US-based aircraft manufacturing company comes hours after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its preliminary report on the incident that occurred in Ahmedabad.
The officials from Boeing said, "Our thoughts remain with the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Air India Flight 171, as well as everyone affected on the ground in Ahmedabad. We continue to support the investigation and our customers."
The report released by the investigative agency indicates what went wrong on the London-bound flight from Ahmedabad, which crashed a few seconds after takeoff.
The AAIB, while realising the preliminary report stated that they will be reviewing additional evidence from the stockholders of the aircraft.
Responding to the AAIB’s report, Boeing officials also said, "We will defer to the AAIB to provide information about AI171, in adherence with the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organisation protocol known as Annex 13,' as cited by news agency ANI.
Highlights from the report
The report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau highlighted that the core deceleration was halted in Engine 1. The engine halted further and began progressing toward recovery after the initial failure.
The report also highlighted that soon after the first engine of the aircraft carrier stopped working, Engine 2 tried to cope with the operations but could not arrest core speed deceleration, despite repeated fuel reintroduction attempts.
Another point that the report asserted was that when the aircraft reached the speed of 180 knots IAS, At 13:38:42 IST (08:08:42 UTC), both engines’ fuel cutoff switches moved from 'Run' to 'Cutoff,' which restricted the fuel supply to both the engines.
However, fuel switches for both the engines of the Air India flight were returned to ‘Run’ within seconds. EGTs for both engines rose, indicating relight efforts.
Furthermore, after a few attempts by both pilots to establish proper flow of fuel to the engines, the engine and aircraft flight recorder (EAFR) data confirmed that N2 values in both engines fell below minimum idle speed during the incident.
The data recovered from the Engine and Aircraft Flight Recorder (EAFR) indicated a rise in Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) in both engines following the fuel switch back to ‘Run,’ which resulted in combustion during relight attempts.
(With inputs from ANI)
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