Air India Flight 171: Preliminary Report Out, Engine Shutdown Cause Still Unclear

The preliminary report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the crash of Air India Flight 171, which killed 260 people, offers new details but leaves the biggest question unanswered: why did both engines shut down just after takeoff?

According to the report, both engine fuel cutoff switches moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” just a second apart at takeoff speed, instantly cutting fuel to the engines. It’s still unclear whether this was due to human error, mechanical failure, or an electronic glitch.

The cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot asking the other, “Why did you cut off the fuel?” The response: “I didn’t.” Investigators haven’t said who said what, but the exchange suggests the fuel cutoff may not have been intentional.

The pilots tried to restart the engines, but at just 625 feet altitude, there wasn’t enough time. Despite signs of recovery, the engines couldn’t restart before impact.

Though the aircraft had no history of fuel switch problems, a 2018 FAA advisory warned that some Boeing jets had faulty locking mechanisms on those switches — an issue Air India didn’t inspect, as the bulletin wasn’t mandatory.

The AAIB stresses these findings are preliminary. A full investigation is still underway and could take months or longer to determine the exact cause.