Page 12 - Air India

Aviation safety: Key findings from India's last three major air crashes

The last three major air crashes in India-Patna (2000), Mangaluru (2010), and Kozhikode (2020)-offer critical safety insights, with recommendations for improving aviation safety

Ex-pilot points to chip fault, not pilot error in report on AI171 crash

Senior lecturer at Buckinghamshire New University and former pilot Marco Chan said that although the report did not explicitly exonerate the two pilots from human error

Too early to conclude Air India crash cause: Aviation min on probe report

Union Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu on Saturday said that it is immature to jump to conclusions at the juncture over the recent Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad, as the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has only released the preliminary report. On June 12, a London-bound Air India flight, AI 171, crashed immediately after take off in Ahmedabad, killing 260 people. "So, let's not jump to any conclusions at this stage. Let us wait for the final report. These are technical things and that is why we have these investigation agencies. Once they are clear..., they are going to submit the final report. At this stage it will be very immature for me to comment on it," said Naidu. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an official programme in the port city, the aviation minister heaped praise on the AAIB, Indian pilots and cabin crews, calling them the 'best' in the world. He also underscored that 'justice' has to be done to the family members of one of India's worst

Air India crash: UK air investigators reviewing' preliminary safety report

The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) on Sunday said that it is in the process of reviewing its Indian counterpart's preliminary report into the London-bound Air India AI171 plane crash moments after take-off from Ahmedabad last month. The report by the Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is based on the initial findings of their probe into the crash, whcih claimed the lives of all but one of the 242 passengers and crew. The UK AAIB is also part of the investigatory process as it involved the death of 52 British nationals on board. The UK AAIB welcomes the publication of this preliminary report, which is a summary of factual information uncovered so far by the AAIB India investigation, UK AAIB said in a statement. The UK AAIB are in process of reviewing this preliminary report in detail and remains in communication with AAIB India. The UK AAIB has expert' status in the Indian safety investigation. In accordance with international protocols, release of .

Air India crash: Pilots Sabharwal, Kunder remembered as calm, skilled men

Seconds before Air India flight 171 crashed while ascending from Ahmedabad, the fuel control switches of both its engines were cut off, a preliminary investigation report said on Saturday, suggesting a catastrophic pilot error. The Airlines Pilots Association of India disagreed with the report, saying the investigation is "shrouded in secrecy" appears to be biased against the pilot and has come to a conclusion hastily. The report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AIIB) neither concluded any reason for the switches moving nor apportioned explicit blame for the crash. It also did not identify the pilots in the voice recording. At the controls was First Officer Clive Kunder, 32, while Sumeet Sabharwal, a veteran with 30 years of experience at Air India, was the senior cockpit occupant in command monitoring the flight. Below are brief profiles of the two pilots: Captain Sumeet Sabharwal: The 56-year-old veteran with 30 years of experience at Air India had logged 15,638 fl

Air India says will review preliminary plane crash report with pilots

Air India on Saturday said it will take on board its pilot community by holding dedicated sessions in the coming days to review the preliminary investigation report of the Ahmedabad plane crash on June 12. The 15-page preliminary report by Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AIIB), released early on Saturday, has found that the fuel supply to both engines of Air India flight AI171 was cut off within a second of each other, causing confusion in the cockpit and the airplane plummeting back to ground almost immediately after taking off. On June 12, the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner began to lose thrust almost immediately after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport and ploughed into a medical college hostel, killing all but one of the 242 onboard and another 19 on the ground in the deadliest aviation accident in a decade. "Preliminary investigation report has been officially released in the recent tragic accident involving our flight AI 171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on .

Pilots' group ALPA India seeks fair, fact-based probe into AI plane crash

Airline Pilots' Association of India on Saturday demanded a fair and fact-based probe into the Air India plane crash as it claimed that the tone and direction of the investigation into the Air India plane crash suggests a bias towards pilot error. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released its preliminary report into the fatal Boeing 787-8 plane crash on June 12 that killed 260 people. The report has found that the fuel supply to both engines of Air India flight AI171 was cut off within a second of each other, causing confusion in the cockpit and the airplane plummeting back to ground almost immediately after taking off. The 15-page report says that in the cockpit voice recording, one unidentified pilot asked the other why he had cut off the fuel, which the other denied. "The tone and direction of the investigation suggest a bias towards pilot error... ALPA India categorically rejects this presumption and insists on a fair, fact-based inquiry," Airline Pilots' ..

Civil aviation minister hails AAIB for initial report on Air India crash

Naidu further stated that pilots and crew are the backbone of the aviation industry and assured that all necessary steps would be taken to uphold safety standards

A month on, soot-covered buildings mark site of Ahmedabad plane crash

A month after the Air India plane crashed on the bustling medical hostel complex near Ahmedabad airport, charred trees, soot-covered walls, and empty buildings now serve as grim reminders of the deadliest aviation accident in a decade. On that day, Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft en route to London Gatwick, crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel complex shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport. The aircraft burst into flames, killing 241 out of 242 people onboard and 19 individuals on the ground, including several BJ Medical College students. At the time of the crash, many medical students and resident doctors were either in their hostel rooms or gathered in the mess for lunch. The tail section of the aircraft rammed into the mess building, turning an ordinary afternoon into a horrific scene of fire and destruction. Wreckage was scattered across the hostel grounds, and thick soot still clung to the damaged buildings. One month later, barrin

AI171 crash: Both fuel switches moved to cutoff just after takeoff

AAIB's preliminary probe finds cockpit confusion and sudden loss of thrust as fuel switches moved to cutoff seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport on June 12

AAIB releases report on Air India crash in Ahmedabad: All you need to know

AAIB's preliminary report on the June 12 Air India crash reveals engine failure, mid-air fuel cutoff, and pilot distress call; 240 onboard and 19 on ground died in the Ahmedabad accident

'Why did you cut off?' Final Air India cockpit chat revealed in AAIB report

The AAIB's preliminary report reveals Air India pilots' final exchange before the crash, where both engines shut down mid-air after fuel switches moved to cutoff; 260 people were killed

Boeing responds to AAIB report on Air India crash, vows to support probe

Boeing issued a statement after the AAIB preliminary report revealed that a mid-air fuel cutoff led to the fatal plane crash in Ahmedabad

Air India plane crashed after fuel supply to engines was cut off: Probe

The report states that the fuel switches for both engines were moved to the cut-off position almost immediately after takeoff, though the reason for this action remains unclear

Explainer: What are the fuel switches at the centre of AI 171 crash probe?

Flight data shows both engine switches moved from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' seconds after takeoff, one after the other within a second, causing both engines to lose power

Working closely with stakeholders: Air India after AAIB report on crash

Air India on Saturday said it is working closely with regulators and other stakeholders, and will continue to cooperate with the authorities in the ongoing probe into the Ahmedabad plane crash after AAIB released its preliminary report. On June 12, the airline's Boeing 787-8 plane operating flight AI 171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed soon after take off and 260 people died in the accident. "We acknowledge receipt of the preliminary report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) today, 12 July 2025.," the airline said in a post on X. Further, the airline said it is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. "We continue to fully cooperate with the AAIB and other authorities as their investigation progresses".

Preliminary report on Air India crash to give peek into jet's final moments

Preliminary findings indicated the fuel switches were turned off, though it's unclear whether it was accidental or intentional and whether any effort was made to turn them back on

Three nationalisations: Lessons from govt's approach to SBI, LIC, Air India

A common factor uniting the three entities is that they all belonged to the services sector

Preliminary report in Air India crash expected to be released by Friday

The investigation into the Air India flight 171 crash is focusing on the movement of the engine fuel control switches, following an analysis of the Boeing 787's flight and voice data recorders

Parl panel seeks answers on Air India crash, fare hike post-Pahalgam attack

A parliamentary panel questioned civil aviation leaders on the Air India crash investigation, the sudden airfare hike to Srinagar, and called for a security audit amid safety concerns