Air India Crash: Truth Behind the Fuel Cutoff Mystery

1. Introduction: A Tragedy That Shook the Skies

On the morning of June 12, 2025, India woke up to one of the most horrifying headlines in recent memory: Air India Flight 171 had crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing all 243 people on board. What was supposed to be a routine international flight to Dubai turned into a national tragedy—one that still leaves more questions than answers.

Initial reports hinted at engine failure. But as investigators dug deeper, what emerged was not a technical breakdown—it was a human and systemic mystery. The aircraft, a modern Boeing 787 Dreamliner, was in good condition. Weather was not a factor. Yet, in just under 18 seconds, both engines lost power, and the plane plummeted to the ground. The cause? A shocking manual shutdown of both fuel switches—by someone inside the cockpit.

This isn’t just another crash. It’s different—because this time, it wasn’t the machine that failed. It may have been the people, the processes, or even the safety culture itself. And that’s what makes the Air India crash of 2025 not just tragic, but deeply unsettling.

In this blog, we’ll explore what really happened aboard Flight 171, analyze the aviation safety lapses, and unpack why this event is being called one of the most mysterious and disturbing air disasters in Indian history.

2. Flight 171 Timeline: What We Know So Far

To truly understand the tragedy of Air India Flight 171, we need to walk through the timeline—step by step. The flight took off as usual, but within just 18 seconds, everything changed. The sequence of events, now confirmed by the black box and cockpit voice recorder, tells a story that is both shocking and deeply confusing.

Here’s a simplified breakdown of the events:

Flight Timeline: June 12, 2025

• 00:00 – Takeoff Cleared:
  Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, begins its takeoff roll from Ahmedabad International Airport, bound for Dubai. Conditions are normal. Weather is clear. No mechanical warnings.
• 00:06 – Liftoff Achieved:
  The aircraft leaves the runway, climbing steadily with both engines operating smoothly.
• 00:10 – First Fuel Cutoff Switch Activated:
  According to the Air India black box data, the left engine’s fuel control switch is manually moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF.” This causes the left engine to shut down mid-air.
• 00:11 – Second Fuel Cutoff Switch Activated:
  Just one second later, the right engine’s switch is also turned off. The aircraft is now flying with zero engine power.
• 00:13 – Cockpit Alarm and Confusion:
  The cockpit voice recorder captures alarms blaring. The co-pilot is heard asking, “Why did you do that?” The captain responds, “I didn’t.”
• 00:17 – Emergency Systems Deploy:
  The aircraft’s Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deploys to provide emergency power to essential systems.
• 00:18 – Impact:
  With both engines dead and no altitude left to recover, Flight 171 crashes into a field 7 km from the airport. Everyone on board perishes.

This tragic timeline, especially the manual shutdown of both fuel switches, is what makes the Air India crash 2025 so disturbing. Planes don’t just fall out of the sky—something, or someone, caused it.

3. The Fuel Cutoff Mystery: Accident or Intent?

At the heart of the Air India Flight 171 crash is one haunting question: Why were both engines turned off mid-air? The answer lies in a small but powerful cockpit feature—the fuel control switch.

What is a Fuel Control Switch?

Every jet engine has a fuel control switch—a small lever that allows pilots to start or stop the flow of fuel to the engine. When the switch is set to RUN, the engine receives fuel and stays on. When flipped to CUTOFF, the fuel stops, and the engine shuts down. It’s designed to be used only during emergencies, maintenance, or shutdown on the ground.

On the Boeing 787, these switches are not easy to move accidentally. They require a pull-and-turn motion—a deliberate action by the pilot.

Why Accidental Shutdown Is Almost Impossible

Investigators from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirm that there’s no known technical failure that could move these switches on their own. In fact, Boeing released a statement saying:

“The fuel cutoff mechanism is manually operated. There is no automated sequence that could engage it without human input.”
— Boeing Spokesperson, June 2025

Even the DGCA (India’s aviation regulator) noted in its preliminary report:

“Both switches were moved within a second. The likelihood of simultaneous accidental engagement is near zero.”

The Suicide Theory: Did the Captain Do It?

With no mechanical failure, suspicion has turned to human intent. Could it be that the pilot-in-command intentionally shut down both engines?

The cockpit voice recorder adds to the mystery. Just after the engines die, the first officer is heard saying, “Why did you do that?”—suggesting the co-pilot was shocked and had no idea what was happening. The captain’s reply, “I didn’t,” only deepens the confusion.

This has led some experts to compare the crash to past pilot suicide cases, like Germanwings Flight 9525. Still, no suicide note or psychological red flag has been confirmed.

---

Was it a tragic error, a mental breakdown, or something more sinister? As of now, the mystery remains unsolved—but the facts point toward an intentional aircraft engine shutdown, not an accident.

4. Inside the Cockpit: Who Were the Pilots?

Behind the controls of Air India Flight 171 were two experienced aviators: Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Ritika Mehra. As more details emerge from the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and official records, their profiles are coming into sharper focus—especially in light of the crash’s mysterious cause.

Captain Sumeet Sabharwal

Captain Sabharwal was a 47-year-old senior pilot with over 14,000 hours of flying experience, including more than 3,500 hours on the Boeing 787. By all accounts, he was technically competent and calm under pressure. But investigators are now digging into his recent personal and professional life.

Media sources and DGCA leaks suggest he had recently returned to duty after a brief mental health leave due to stress-related fatigue. Close colleagues described him as “quiet and distant” in recent weeks. He had also reportedly received a warning letter just a month before the crash for an unrelated procedural lapse.

While nothing officially links him to intentional wrongdoing, his mental health history has raised flags. This is where the Air India pilot mental health discussion takes center stage.

First Officer Ritika Mehra

First Officer Mehra, aged 32, was a rising star at Air India. She had flown over 3,000 hours and was described as sharp, professional, and attentive.

What truly speaks volumes, however, is her voice—captured in the final moments by the Flight 171 CVR. When the first engine shuts off, she asks calmly, “What’s happening?” But seconds later, as both engines fail, her voice becomes urgent:

“Why did you do that?”
— First Officer Ritika Mehra, CVR, June 12, 2025

---

That line, now famous, is possibly the most chilling part of this entire story. It suggests shock. It suggests something went terribly wrong—and that she didn’t expect it.

5. Systemic Oversight or Human Error?

In the days following the Air India Flight 171 crash, much of the focus has been on the captain’s possible actions. But is this truly just a case of individual failure, or are we missing a much bigger problem—a failure of the entire aviation system?

Airline Fatigue & Pressure Culture

One of the biggest concerns raised is crew fatigue. In the post-COVID world, airlines—including Air India—have been pushing their crew harder than ever to recover losses. Many pilots report being overworked, flying back-to-back shifts, and getting minimal rest.

According to an internal Air India memo leaked after the crash, Captain Sabharwal had flown 9 hours the previous day and was back in the cockpit with less than 11 hours of rest, just over the legal minimum. First Officer Ritika Mehra had also logged multiple overnight flights in the past week.

This isn’t an isolated issue. It reflects a pattern of burnout, one many pilots are quietly battling without any formal support.

Mental Health Blind Spots

Airline mental health screening in India is outdated. Pilots are still reluctant to report stress or anxiety, fearing suspension or career damage. According to aviation analyst Dhruv Rathee, who covered this tragedy in depth on his YouTube channel:

“India still lacks a confidential mental health support system for pilots. That needs to change, especially after this incident.”
— Dhruv Rathee, June 2025

Training, Audits & Policy Gaps

The DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has now launched a full-scale investigation into Air India’s pilot training, fatigue management, and psychological monitoring. Experts argue that policy enforcement has been weak, and audits often fail to flag risky patterns.

As per a 2023 IATA safety report, India’s aviation safety score lags behind other nations like Singapore or UAE, especially in the area of human factors and fatigue regulation.

So was the crash a result of one man’s actions, or a broken system that allowed him to reach that point undetected? The truth may lie somewhere in between. What’s clear is this: aviation safety in India needs a serious overhaul.

6. Aviation Experts Weigh In: What Went Wrong?

The Air India Flight 171 crash has sparked intense discussions across the global aviation community. Experts, journalists, and enthusiasts are trying to make sense of what happened, and many are drawing comparisons to previous tragedies involving pilots’ actions.

Global Media and Expert Reactions

Major news outlets like The Wall Street Journal and Reuters have highlighted the disturbing fact that both engines were shut down manually. They stress that it’s extremely rare for this to happen accidentally. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has called for a thorough investigation into pilot mental health and cockpit safety worldwide.

On online forums like Reddit’s r/aviation, experienced pilots and aviation fans are debating the situation:

“There’s no way both fuel cutoffs moved accidentally. This points toward pilot sabotage or deliberate action.”
— Reddit user

Comparisons to Past Crashes

Experts frequently mention Germanwings Flight 9525 (2015), where the co-pilot intentionally crashed the plane, and EgyptAir Flight 990 (1999), which also involved pilot suicide theories. These cases show how tragic mental health issues can lead to devastating results in the cockpit.

The Ongoing Debate: Autonomy vs. Accountability

The crash raises a tough question: how much freedom should pilots have? On one hand, pilots need autonomy to manage emergencies. On the other, should there be more safeguards to prevent intentional harm?

Experts argue the aviation industry must balance pilot autonomy with system accountability—meaning better mental health support, cockpit monitoring, and fail-safe designs.

---

This tragedy underscores the urgent need for change. It’s a reminder that human factors are as important as machines when it comes to flying safely.

7. Regulatory and Industry Response: Too Late, Too Little?

After the shocking crash of Air India Flight 171, aviation authorities and the airline industry quickly responded—but many wonder if these actions came too late.

DGCA’s Urgent Directives

India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), immediately ordered a thorough inspection of the fuel control systems on all Boeing 787 aircraft operating in the country. The DGCA also instructed airlines to review their pilot training and mental health protocols. However, critics say these measures should have been in place long before such a tragedy occurred.

FAA Warnings and Airworthiness Directives

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States issued an Airworthiness Directive focusing on the Boeing fuel switch design and interlock mechanisms. The directive calls for extra checks to ensure these critical switches cannot be easily or accidentally disengaged. Boeing has been asked to work on possible design improvements to add safety layers that might prevent similar incidents in the future.

Air India’s Internal Audits and Mental Health Reviews

In response to the tragedy, Air India began conducting internal audits of its pilot roster, focusing heavily on mental health assessments. The airline reportedly grounded several pilots from the same training batch as Captain Sabharwal for psychological evaluations. They have also promised to implement new support systems to help crew members manage stress and fatigue better.

Is It Enough?

While these steps are necessary, many aviation experts and families of victims feel the response was reactive rather than proactive. The crash has exposed deep vulnerabilities in aviation safety—especially concerning pilot mental health and critical cockpit controls.

This tragedy serves as a stark reminder: safety isn’t just about machines, it’s about people—and the systems that support them.

8. Lingering Questions: What We Still Don’t Know

Even after weeks of investigations, the Air India Flight 171 tragedy still leaves us with more questions than answers. The black box gave us the “how”, but the “why” remains painfully unclear.

Was It Suicide or Sabotage?

The biggest unanswered question is motive. Was Captain Sumeet Sabharwal suffering from a mental health crisis that led him to intentionally crash the plane? Or could someone else have tampered with the controls? The cockpit voice recorder revealed shocking last words from the co-pilot: “Why did you do that?”—but what it truly means is still debated.

Was There a System Failure or Design Flaw?

Could the fuel control switches have been designed better? Some experts believe the Boeing 787 may have a hidden vulnerability—a flaw that allowed critical engine systems to be disabled too easily. If true, this raises major concerns about how such planes are approved and maintained.

Are Pilots Being Let Down by the System?

Many are now asking: are airlines doing enough to monitor pilot mental health, fatigue, and stress? Is the system more focused on cost and efficiency than safety and support?

Until these questions are fully answered, Flight 171 remains one of India’s most troubling aviation mysteries.

9. FAQs

10. Conclusion: A Wake-Up Call for the Aviation Industry

The Air India Flight 171 tragedy wasn’t just a plane crash—it was a complete failure of safety assurance at every level. The aircraft itself was in good health. There was no foul weather. No mechanical fault was initially found. Yet, 243 innocent lives were lost in seconds, and the cause points not to a technical error, but to something far more disturbing: a breakdown in human, procedural, and regulatory safeguards.

From the manual shutdown of the engines to possible oversights in pilot mental health monitoring, the crash has exposed critical gaps in the aviation system—gaps that can no longer be ignored.

This isn’t just India’s tragedy; it’s a global lesson. Airlines, regulators, aircraft manufacturers, and governments must all rethink their approach to safety, especially when it comes to human factors.

We must ask hard questions:
Who was responsible? Was it just the pilot, or a larger system that failed to protect passengers?
And more importantly—how do we prevent this from ever happening again?

This disaster must serve as a turning point for the aviation industry—because real accountability is not about blame. It’s about change.