Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Pilot Caused The Accident Intentionally- Experts

• By Thetripurapost Desk, Ahmedabad
• Jul 13, 2025
• 473

A month after the Ahmedabad plane crash, the preliminary investigation report was released on July 12. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) made the 15-page report public. According to the preliminary investigation, the accident happened due to both the engines of the plane shutting down.

Immediately after takeoff, both the fuel switches were turned off one by one, due to which both the engines also stopped. During this, the cockpit recording shows that one pilot asked the other, "Did you turn off the switch?" The other replied, "No."

Aviation expert Captain Mohan Ranganathan said that looking at the report it seems that the accident was done intentionally. However, former AAIB chief retired Group Captain Aurobindo Handa said - in most cases the initial investigation is different from the final report.

Aviation expert Captain Ranganathan told NDTV that the fuel supply to the Dreamliner's engines can only be cut off manually. There is no other way to cut off the fuel. This work has to be done manually. This cannot happen automatically or due to a power cut.

Fuel switches are designed in such a way that they must be pulled out of the slot to be replaced. This means they cannot be turned off accidentally or inadvertently.

Former director of AAIB said – there is a difference between the initial and final report:

While some experts are claiming that the accident was the fault of the pilot, former director of AAIB, retired Group Captain Aurobindo Handa says that in most of the cases, the initial and final reports of the aircraft accident investigation are different.

Speaking to NDTV Profit, Handa said that investigating the Ahmedabad plane crash will be very difficult for the AAIB as most of the plane has been burnt to ashes and it may take time for the final report to come.

The investigating team will have to discuss the exact cause of the accident or perhaps the possible cause. 

The report that has come now contains only the facts of the events that happened in 30 seconds. This is not a final report.

What did other experts say on the investigation report....

Sanat Kaul, former member of the Civil Aviation Safety Council (Government of India), said - The initial report of AI-171 clearly shows that the fuel supply suddenly stopped during takeoff. The voice recorder shows that neither the pilot nor the co-pilot turned off the switch. In such a situation, it is clear that this fuel cutoff happened due to some internal technical fault of the aircraft.

Australian aviation consultant Neil Hansford said - I have operated nine airlines, I have never heard of a pilot cutting off the fuel supply himself during takeoff - that too of both engines. Such experienced pilots do not do this. It is important that the investigators also look at the personal or psychological aspects of the pilots. It cannot be just a system failure.

American aviation safety expert Melissa Chen said - These switches are 'guarded' - that is, they cannot be moved by mistake, they have to be pulled first, then moved. Such a design is also there in Airbus. If a pilot moves them, then it cannot be considered a 'mistake'. There are still many questions unresolved, which need to be investigated.
Aviation safety expert 

Mark D Martin said - The fuel cutoff switch turning off automatically just after takeoff is a matter of global concern. Boeing 787 operators should review the entire system again. This is not a normal defect. The role of the pilots does not seem suspicious. Design or logic failure is possible.

The pilots could not avoid the crash despite trying:

According to the report, the fuel switches of both the engines of the accident plane were off, after which the pilots turned them on and tried to restart both the engines. But the plane was at a very low altitude, so the engines did not get time to regain power and the plane crashed. However, it has not been revealed how the fuel switches were turned off.

According to the 15-page report, the entire flight from takeoff to the accident lasted only about 30 seconds. Till now, the report has not recommended any warning or action for any operator regarding the Boeing 787-8 aircraft and GE GEnx-1B engine. Also, the report does not mention any reasons like weather, bird-hit and sabotage.

There was a technical problem, but the plane was released within 1 hour:

On June 12, the flight arrived in Ahmedabad from Delhi as AI 423. It landed at 11:17 am.

Crew recorded STAB POS XDCR in the log. Resolved and released aircraft for next flight at 12:10.

It was scheduled to fly to London as AI 171. The flight was at 1:10 pm. The pilots were well rested.

The breath analyser test found the crew fit. There was 54,200 kg of fuel. The takeoff weight was 2,13,401 kg. All of this was within limits.

Last flight, everything looked normal till takeoff:

According to the Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System, the aircraft departed Bay 34 at 1:18:38 p.m. Taxi clearance was obtained at 1:25:15 p.m.

At 1:26:08 pm the aircraft began taxiing from taxiway R4 to runway 23. The aircraft then backtracked and lined up.

Takeoff permission was received at 1:37:33 and the aircraft began the takeoff roll at 1:37:37.

According to EAFR data, the aircraft crossed the takeoff decision speed (V1) at 1:38:33 at 153 knots IAS (about 283 kmph). The aircraft's air/ground sensors shifted to air mode at 1:38:39, confirming liftoff.
Everything was fine up to the point of take-off. Nothing unusual was recorded anywhere.