The last words shared by the pilots of the Air India crash, which tragically claimed the lives of 241 passengers, have been revealed alongside new forensic details.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad airport on June 12, falling into a residential area called Meghani Nagar, claiming 19 more lives on the ground.
The Aviation Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) has released initial forensic details of the tragedy that could reveal the cause of what is said to be one of the worst tragedies in Indian aviation history.
Among the new information is the final conversation between the pilots of the crashed plane, captured via the cockpit voice recording, suggesting that the fuel had been “cut off” in its final moments.
Amid confusion, one pilot is heard asking the other why they “cut” the fuel supply, while the other responds, “I didn’t,” according to a report from Indian authorities.
It was not identified which comments were made by the flight captain, Sumeet Sabharwal, and which by the co-pilot, Clive Kunder, nor which pilot immediately transmitted the distress signal: “No thrust achieved… falling… Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!”
It is believed that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner lost power when the fuel cutoff switches were activated almost simultaneously, leaving the engines without fuel, according to the Indian accident investigators’ report.
The exchange between the pilots raises a key question about the crash: who could have accidentally activated the fuel cutoff switches mid-flight, which are designed to be “highly reliable” and built to prevent unintentional activation?
Each lever must be pulled upward to unlock before it can be turned, and they also have additional protective guards to prevent accidental bumps or nudges.
“It would be almost impossible to activate both switches with a single hand movement, making accidental deployment unlikely,” an air accident investigator based in Canada told the BBC.
A video posted on social media appeared to show the plane descending in a controlled manner with a high nose angle and landing gear deployed.
The plane momentarily disappeared from view behind trees and buildings before a massive fireball erupted on the horizon in this horrific clip.
A graphic showing how the Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s lever works
Air India has said that the flight captain, Sumeet Sabharwal, had over 10,000 hours of experience flying wide-body or larger aircraft.
The image above shows the five buildings impacted by the Air India crash, as well as the subsequent fire. The five buildings (bottom right), seen from above, sustained significant structural and fire damage.
The Boeing 787 first crashed into a series of trees before impacting the BJ Medical College hostel after hitting another series of trees (in the image above: damaged buildings listed as A-F).
After losing altitude, it made contact with Building A at 293 feet at the angle illustrated above.
The plane’s tail and right main landing gear (MLG) were found in the northeast wall of Building A (in the photo).
The aircraft slid across the roof of Building A, where the right wingtip struck a water tank structure and was torn off the plane.
John Cox, a U.S. aviation safety expert, stated that a pilot could not accidentally move the fuel switches that supply the engines. “They don’t move when bumped,” he explained.
But the plane only reached an altitude of 625 feet and immediately began losing thrust and sinking moments after taking off toward London, then exploding into a fireball after crashing into a hostel on the ground in Gujarat, killing all but one onboard.
Initial assessments by investigators indicate no apparent failure in the Boeing or its engines, suggesting that Boeing and the engine manufacturer GE bear no apparent responsibility for the crash.
The Aviation Accident Investigation Board’s report, released on Friday night, indicated that the plane was carrying 54,200 kg of fuel, which was within permitted limits. Fuel samples taken from the aircraft’s refueling tanks were also deemed satisfactory.
“The aircraft reached a maximum recorded airspeed of 180 knots IAS at approximately 08:08:42 UTC, and immediately afterward, the fuel cutoff switches for Engine 1 and Engine 2 moved from RUN to CUTOFF one after the other with a one-second interval,” the report states.
“Engines N1 and N2 began to decrease from their takeoff values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off.”
In the cockpit voice recording, one pilot is heard asking the other why they cut the signal. The other pilot responded that they did not.
But the report does not explain how the switch (used to turn the engines on or off and typically left on during flight) could have moved to the off position.
The inner parts of the right wing were found between Buildings A and B, as well as in a nearby building, and the outer parts (in the photo above) were found about 280 feet and 520 feet from the point of impact with Building A.
The left main landing gear (LH MNLG) and the left wing struck the center of Building C (left), 345 feet south of the point of contact. Part of the left engine detached upon impact with a corner of Building D (center). The nose of the plane was found 307 feet southwest of Building A.
The aircraft’s flap lever was significantly burned (left) and found in a 5-degree position, typical for a normal takeoff. However, the landing gear (in the images, center and right) was in the “DOWN” position.
The thrust lever (left) also showed significant thermal damage and remained forward until impact. Both fuel control switches were in the “RUN” position (right).
CCTV footage (in the image) from the airport shows the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deploying as the plane takes off.
A relative weeps upon hearing the news of their brother who died when the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed in Ahmedabad, India, on June 12, 2025
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People observe the wreckage of an Air India plane that crashed in Ahmedabad, in the state of Gujarat, India.
Rescue team members work as smoke rises at the site in Ahmedabad, India, on June 12, 2025.
The number of fatalities is still unknown, but rescuers said at least 30 bodies have been recovered from one building so far.
Firefighters work at the crash site near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
A view of the site where a plane crashed shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in the western state of Gujarat, India, on June 12, 2025.
Investigators are currently focusing on a 2018 Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, which stated that some Boeing 737 fuel control switches were installed on aircraft with the locking function disabled.
Although the issue was never deemed unsafe, an Airworthiness Directive (AD), which is legally enforceable, was issued to address the problem with some of the levers.
Boeing 787-8 aircraft, like the Air India plane, use the same design. Due to the SAIB recommendation, Air India did not perform the recommended inspections.
All pilots and crew had passed a breathalyzer test and were deemed fit to fly, according to the report, which detailed how both Sabharwal and Kunder had rested sufficiently before taking to the skies.
At the crash site, both fuel switches were found in the operating position, and the report details indications that both engines had restarted before the low-altitude crash.
A former investigator with the Indian Aviation Accident Investigation Board speculated whether the switch could have been triggered due to potential issues with the aircraft’s electronic control unit.
Captain Kishore Chinta told the BBC: “Is it possible that the aircraft’s electronic control unit electronically activated the fuel cutoff switches without pilot intervention? If the fuel cutoff switches were activated electronically, that would be a cause for concern.”
Wreckage of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner at the site where the Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India, on June 12, 2025.
Rescuers work at the crash site in the city of Ahmedabad, in northwest India, in the state of Gujarat, on Thursday, June 12, 2025.
Tensions have been reported between Indian and U.S. investigators.
Wreckage of the fuselage and landing gear was seen hanging through a large hole in the side of what appeared to be a canteen, with half-eaten plates of food clearly visible on the benches inside.
Parts of the plane appeared to have crashed into the BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital.
Referring to data recovered from the aircraft’s two Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFR), the report continues: “According to the EAFR, the Engine 1 fuel cutoff switch moved from CUTOFF to RUN at approximately 08:08:52 UTC. The APU inlet door began opening at approximately 08:08:54 UTC, in accordance with the APU’s automatic start logic.”
“Thereafter, at 08:08:56 UTC, the Engine 2 fuel cutoff switch also moved from CUTOFF to RUN.
“When the fuel control switches move from CUTOFF to RUN while the aircraft is in flight, each engine’s Full Authority Dual Engine Control (FADEC) automatically manages an ignition and thrust recovery sequence with ignition and fuel introduction.”
Moving to the cutoff position almost immediately shuts off the engines and is most commonly used to shut down the engines once an aircraft has reached its airport gate and in certain emergency situations, such as an engine fire.
The preliminary report does not indicate any emergency that required shutting off the engine.
The new findings appear to align with theories reportedly raised by the U.S. side of the investigation, which also noted that the switches controlling fuel flow to the plane’s two engines were turned off shortly after takeoff.
It remains unclear why they were turned off, and investigators are questioning whether it was deliberate, accidental, or corrected too late.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, a possible indication that the switches were off was the deployment of the aircraft’s emergency power system, a Ram Air Turbine or RAT.
Viswash lies in the hospital with a bloodied face and injuries following the tragic crash that claimed the life of his younger brother.
Ajaykumar Ramesh (left), who died in the plane crash, and his brother Viswash Kumar Ramesh (right), who miraculously survived.
Striking images showed Vishwar walking away from the scene with some visible injuries on his face.
The brothers were seated a few seats apart on the plane, with survivor Viswash in seat 11A and his younger brother in seat 11J across the aisle.
The RAT typically activates when both engines lose power or if pressure in all three hydraulic systems is critically low, both essential components for maintaining flight. The landing gear was also found in the down position.
Shawn Pruchnicki, a former air accident investigator and aviation expert at Ohio State University, said: “The deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) strongly supports the conclusion that both engines had failed.”
He believes the pilot in command of the aircraft had no time to think. According to investigators, the crew attempted to act, but the crash happened too quickly.
If the preliminary findings are confirmed, this would exonerate the Dreamliner manufacturer, Boeing, and the engine developer, GE Aerospace.
The Indian Aviation Accident Investigation Board stated: “At this stage of the investigation, there are no recommended actions for operators and manufacturers of Boeing 787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engines.”
The agency, a division of India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation, is leading the investigation into the deadliest aviation accident in the world in a decade.
Last month, the tragic crash claimed the lives of 169 Indian passengers on board, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, as well as 12 crew members, leaving only one survivor: British citizen Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, aged 40.
At least 19 people also died on the ground when the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a residential area moments after takeoff.
Raxa Modha (left) was on the doomed flight and tragically died in the crash on Thursday.
Akeel Nanawaba (left), 36, his wife Hannaa (right), 30, and their daughter Sarah, four, were returning home after a five-day family celebration when the Air India Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff. They also perished in the tragedy.
Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, 45 (right), and her husband Fiongal, 39, lived in London, ran a wellness and healthy lifestyle company called Wellness Foundry, and were on vacation in India. They also died in the ill-fated flight.
Harrods brand ambassador Mariam Ali Syed, 35, her husband Javed, manager of the Best Western Kensington Olympia Hotel, and their children, Zayn, five, and Amani, four, were passengers on the crashed Air India flight 171.
Javed Ali Syed, manager of the Best Western Kensington Olympia Hotel, and his wife Mariam were passengers on the fallen Air India flight 171 this morning.
Air India, the country’s oldest airline, has been working to revitalize its operations after years under government control.
The airline says the captain, Sumeet Sabharwal, who was flying the plane, had over 10,000 hours of experience on wide-body aircraft, while co-pilot Clive Kunder had logged over 3,400 hours.
The crash marked the first fatal incident involving a Dreamliner and was a significant setback for Boeing, which faces ongoing scrutiny over its aviation safety standards.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is assisting in the India-led investigation, while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Boeing, and GE Aerospace are providing technical support. They declined to comment on the report’s release.
Reports indicate rising tensions between U.S. and Indian officials.
One of the biggest points of contention is the delay in accessing and analyzing the aircraft’s black boxes.
The Americans are unhappy with the slow pace of extracting data from the cockpit voice and data recorders.
Images of the crew members on board the Air India flight have been published in local media.
Flight attendant Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailatpam was named by local media as one of the individuals on the ill-fated flight 171.
Her business partner, Shoyeb Khan Nagori, was shocked and told MailOnline: “I dined with them last night. They were a lovely family, and Akeel and his wife were highly successful people.” (Photo: Akeel Nanawaba)
In the photo: Hannaa Vorajee, wife of Akeel Nanawaba. The successful couple ran an international recruitment agency with offices in Ahmedabad and Gloucester.
The U.S. team even considered withdrawing from the investigation at one point before deciding to continue.
The Dreamliner, first delivered to Air India in 2012, has been used for many international routes.
While officials have initially focused on the fuel control switches, they have cautioned that nothing has been ruled out yet.
The sole survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, had been in the country on a business trip with his brother Ajaykumar, 35, before boarding the doomed flight traveling from Ahmedabad to Gatwick on Thursday.
In what has been described as a miracle, Viswash, seated in seat 11A near the exit, survived, but his brother, seated across the aisle in seat 11J, perished in the fireball explosion.
Before the discovery of the British survivor, authorities said they believed no one had escaped alive from the flight.
Eleven of the people on board were children, including two newborns.
The Boeing plane crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport in Gujarat around 13:40 (08:10 GMT), authorities said.
Ahmedabad, the main city in the Indian state of Gujarat, has about eight million residents, and its busy airport is surrounded by densely populated residential areas.
Adam Taju, 72, and his wife Hasina, 70, (in the photo) were flying back to the UK with their son-in-law Altafhusen Patel, 51, when they lost their lives in the tragedy.
Adam was described as “a wonderful man, a community man” who “was always out supporting communities.”
In the photo: Altafhusen Patel, 51, who died in the tragedy alongside his father-in-law and mother-in-law.
Preliminary flight tracking data from flightradar24 reveals that the plane reached an altitude of only 625 feet after takeoff, far below the standard altitude for a commercial aircraft several minutes after departure.
According to data records, logged at 30-second intervals, the plane remained on the ground or taxied slowly for over four minutes after being first recorded on public trackers.
The plane took off and reached 625 feet, but no further altitude gains were recorded before the crash.
An Air India spokesperson stated: “Air India stands in solidarity with the families and those affected by the AI171 crash. We continue to mourn the loss and are fully committed to providing support during these difficult times.”
The spokesperson added: “Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators.
“We continue to fully cooperate with the Aviation Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) and other authorities as their investigation progresses.
“Given the active nature of the investigation, we cannot comment on specific details and refer all such inquiries to the AAIB.”