Air India Crash Probe: Captain Suspected of Fuel Cutoff Before Deadly Accident, WSJ Reports
Air India Crash Probe: Captain Suspected of Fuel Cutoff Before Deadly Accident, WSJ Reports
A critical new detail has emerged in the investigation into the fatal Air India Flight AI171 crash, suggesting the captain may have intentionally cut off fuel to the engines just after takeoff. The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with early U.S. official assessments, reports that dialogue from the cockpit voice recording indicates the captain was responsible for activating the fuel cutoff switches, prompting panic from the first officer.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport shortly after its July 12, 2025 departure, killing all 260 people on board. A preliminary report released last week had already highlighted that the plane’s fuel cutoff switches for both engines moved from the ‘RUN’ to the ‘CUTOFF’ position within one second, moments after the aircraft became airborne.
According to the preliminary findings, the cockpit voice recording captured one pilot asking why the cutoff switch was engaged, with the other pilot denying responsibility. The WSJ’s sources now clarify that the conversation points to the captain as the one who manipulated the switches controlling fuel flow to the engines, a development that could significantly alter the direction of the ongoing crash investigation.
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