India’s aviation authorities are investigating whether the captain of Air India Flight AI 171 deliberately caused the June 12 crash that killed 260 people. The Boeing 787 plunged shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, and early findings point to human intervention.
Cockpit voice recordings allegedly captured the captain manually shutting off fuel switches, while the co-pilot sounded alarmed. The shutdown caused both engines to fail seconds into the flight. Remarkably, one person survived the tragedy.
Though deliberate sabotage is a leading theory, investigators haven’t ruled out mechanical failure. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is leading the probe.
India’s aviation regulator has ordered urgent inspections of fuel switch systems across all Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft. A full report is expected soon.
