Air India Flight AI171, bound for London Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel international airport after signal was lost as the investigation continues
At least 240 people, including 53 Brits, were on board an Air India flight bound for Gatwick Airport before it crashed. Air India flight AI171 smashed into the ground shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport after signal was lost.
The airline confirmed that passengers on its flight AI171 included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. There were also 12 crew members onboard. Of the 242 people onboard flight AI171 to London Gatwick on 12 June, 241 were killed.
The black box from the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner has since been recovered, raising questions as to how the plane crashed shortly after taking off at 9.50am local time.
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A preliminary report into the investigation, published on July 12 in India, found that just seconds after take-off, fuel-control switches abruptly moved to the “cut-off” position, starving the engines of fuel and triggering total power loss.
When and where did the crash happen?
In a statement at the time, Air India said: “Air India confirms that flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident today after take off.
“The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, one Canadian national and seven Portuguese nationals.
“The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals. We have also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information. Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident.”
The flight was airborne for less than 40 seconds. One of the pilots submitted a mayday call just before the plane crashed in a crowded neighbourhood.
The plane plummeted into a building used as doctors’ accommodation at the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College and Civil Hospital, causing an explosion. It was lunch break at the hostel when parts of the aircraft crashed through the roof of the dining hall.
What has the report discovered so far?
The report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) found that fuel to the engines of the plane were cut off moments after take off.
In recovered cockpit voice recordings, the report said one of the pilots can be heard asking “why did you cut off?” – to which the other pilot replied he “did not do so”.
The Gatwick-bound plane was being piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and co-pilot Clive Kundar. The report does not specify which voice is which.
According to data from the flight recorder, both of the plane’s fuel control switches moved from the run to the cut-off position in the space of a second, shortly after take-off.
The switches are usually turned off once a plane has landed in its destination, or during emergency situations like an engine fire. The cut-off caused both engines to lose thrust, the AAIB report said.
The fuel switches then moved back into their normal in-flight position, automatically starting the process of relighting the engines. One engine, the report said, was able to regain thrust – but could not reverse the plane’s deceleration.
The report also said: “At this stage of investigation, there are no recommended actions to B787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers”.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin in 2019 highlighting that some Boeing 737 fuel control switches were installed with the locking feature disengaged, the report said.
A final, more detailed report is expected in 12 months.
Air India and Boeing’s response
An Air India spokesperson said the airline acknowledged receipt of the preliminary report.
“We continue to fully co-operate with the AAIB and other authorities as their investigation progresses. Given the active nature of the investigation, we are unable to comment on specific details and refer all such enquiries to the AAIB,” the Air India spokesperson added.
The airline has since announced a cut in international operations on its wide-body aircraft as it deals with disruptions in the aftermath of the crash.
In a statement, Boeing said it would defer to AAIB to provide information about the crashed plane, in adherence with protocol under the UN International Civil Aviation Organization. It also said it continued to support the investigation and its customer, Air India.
Sole survivor
“I still cannot believe how I made it out alive,” the sole survivor of the crash, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, who was sat in seat 11A, told India’s state broadcaster DD News.
The British National had been on the plane with his brother Ajay, who did not survive the crash. “At first, I thought I was going to die. I managed to open my eyes, unfastened my seat belt and tried to exit the plane.”
Mr Ramesh said the side of the plane that he was sitting on did not hit the hostel and was closer to the ground floor. “My door broke down and I saw a small space,” he said. “I tried to get out of the plane.”
The Foreign Office has been in contact with Mr Ramesh “to offer consular support”, Downing Street said.
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