Developing Chronology of Air India Flight 171's Unsettling Journey
On July 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787, experienced a tragic crash near Ahmedabad Airport. The crash claimed the lives of 241 passengers and 19 people on the ground.
Investigations have revealed that the crash was not due to mechanical failure or adverse weather conditions. Instead, it appears that an electrical or electronic systems failure within the avionics system caused the disaster.
The sequence of events leading up to the crash began with the aircraft's takeoff roll at 08:07:37 and crossing the V1 speed at 08:08:33. Shortly afterwards, between 08:08:42-43, the fuel switch for Engine 1 moved to CUTOFF, followed by Engine 2's fuel switch moving to CUTOFF between 08:08:43-44. This resulted in both engines losing power, causing the aircraft to lose altitude rapidly.
The crew transmitted a distress signal, "MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY," at 08:09:05, and the flight data recording stopped at 08:09:11, shortly before the aircraft crashed. However, the cockpit voice recording shows that the pilots were confused and attempted to relight the engines but could not regain power.
Rapid Air Turbine deployed at 08:08:47, supplying hydraulic power as the engines wind down, but it was too late to prevent the crash.
Contrary to initial speculation, the evidence suggests that this was not a deliberate action by one of the pilots, but rather the result of an avionics failure that caused the aircraft’s sensors to misread its status during the air-ground transition phase, leading to an automatic or inadvertent shutdown of the engines.
The investigation remains ongoing with these preliminary findings pointing to avionics/electrical failure as the root technical cause. The aircraft was released for flight after rectification of a "STAB POS XDCR" tech log entry, but it seems that further undetected issues were present.
The crew of AI171 was issued a fit to fly after undergoing a breath analyzer test, ensuring that they were not under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The crash report also reveals that Engine 1 fuel switch was set back to RUN at 08:08:52, and the APU Inlet Door began opening at 08:08:54. Additionally, Engine 2 fuel switch was set back to RUN at 08:08:56.
In the aftermath of the crash, questions have been raised about the safety of the Boeing 787 and the need for stricter checks and maintenance procedures to prevent similar tragedies in the future. The aviation industry is closely monitoring the ongoing investigation to learn more about the root causes of the crash and to implement necessary safety measures.
The aviation industry is grappling with the aftermath of the Air India Flight 171 crash, an incident that has raised concerns about the safety of the Boeing 787. The investigation into the tragedy has preliminarily pointed to an avionics/electrical failure as the root technical cause, leading to questions about the maintenance procedures in the transportation sector. Financial implications for the airline industry are also anticipated as a result of this unfortunate incident.
