Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Air India Finds No Fault in Switch Inspection, But Questions Remain
#News Bureau July 18,2025
Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Following DGCA’s directive, Air India has completed inspection of fuel control switches on its Boeing 787 fleet and reported no issues. However, several aspects of the crash still remain a mystery.
Air India has completed the inspection of the fuel control switch (FCS) locking mechanism in its Boeing 787-8 fleet and reported no defects. The inspection was carried out following directives from aviation regulator DGCA after the Ahmedabad plane crash, which claimed 260 lives. However, questions regarding a possible technical fault remain unanswered. Can fuel switches shut off without pilot command? Until the cause behind the fuel switch shutdown is determined, this tragedy will remain at the center of controversy.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) preliminary report revealed that on June 12, both engines of Air India’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, flying from Ahmedabad to London, lost fuel supply within a second of each other, just seconds after takeoff. This led to a critical situation, causing the aircraft to crash.
On Monday, DGCA directed all airlines to inspect the fuel switch locking systems on their Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft. Air India has also advised its flight operations team to ensure pilots immediately log any technical anomalies.
Did the Fuel Control Switch Move to Cut-Off Mode?
Investigators are now examining potential faults in the aircraft’s electrical and software systems. An official told The Indian Express that the focus is on whether the fuel control switches moved to “cut-off” mode on their own just seconds after takeoff.
The probe into the June 12, 2025 crash of the Ahmedabad-to-London Gatwick flight revealed that a few hours earlier, during the aircraft’s Delhi-to-Ahmedabad leg, the pilot had logged a “stabilizer position transducer defect” in the technical log.
Two Major Past Technical Issues
According to the official, the same aircraft had experienced two major technical problems earlier. In December 2024, the AI-171 flight was canceled before departure from Ahmedabad to Gatwick due to a major electrical failure. In addition, in 2015, the aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing because of a cabin air compressor (CAC) surge—a known issue in Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners.
Warning on Fuel System Fault
Investigators also found that in the last three weeks, the Engine Indication and Crew Alerting System (EICAS) had triggered at least two warnings, one related to a fuel system fault that was later deemed false. Based on these pre-flight sensor errors, the official said the possibility cannot be ruled out that a system glitch caused the fuel switches to move inadvertently, leading to engine failure and a loud explosion.
Unanswered Questions About Switch Shutdown and Pilot Conversation
Cockpit voice recordings revealed a startling exchange between the pilots: one asked, “Why did you cut off?” to which the other replied, “I didn’t.” This deepened the mystery as the switches are equipped with locking mechanisms designed to prevent accidental movement.
The investigation report also noted that in 2018, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had issued an advisory warning of potential disengagement of the fuel switch locking system in Boeing 737s—a design feature also present in the Boeing 787-8. However, this was only a non-binding advisory.
Investigators are now trying to determine whether the Electronic Control Unit could have shut the switches off without pilot input. The aircraft’s maintenance records show no reported defects related to fuel switches after 2023, when the throttle control module was last replaced.
Air India has pledged full cooperation with the investigation, and the final report is expected next year. Meanwhile, families of the victims are demanding answers, and experts have raised concerns over the absence of a complete cockpit voice recorder transcript—something that could help unravel the mystery.
