The Final 26 Seconds of Air India Flight 171: A Descent into Chaos

On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed 38 seconds after takeoff, killing 260 people, including 241 passengers and crew and 19 on the ground. Only one passenger survived. A leaked cockpit voice recorder (CVR) transcript and preliminary findings from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) reveal a harrowing final 26 seconds marked by blaring alarms, a mysterious fuel cut-off, and frantic communication between the pilots as the aircraft plummeted to 65 meters (213 feet). This article explores the chaotic sequence, its causes, and the broader implications for aviation safety, drawing on the latest reports and the leaked audio.

The Timeline of Disaster

Air India Flight 171 lifted off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 13:38:39 IST (08:08:39 UTC) after a 62-second takeoff roll, reaching a maximum airspeed of 180 knots (330 km/h) and an altitude of 672 feet (205 meters). The aircraft, piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal (15,638 flight hours) and First Officer Clive Kunder (3,403 hours), with Kunder as the pilot flying, appeared normal until 12 seconds into the flight. At 08:08:42 UTC, a metallic snap was recorded, later traced to a defective seat track locking pin in the captain’s seat, which caused it to slide backward unexpectedly.

As Sabharwal struggled, his hand inadvertently pulled the throttle levers to idle, triggering an immediate loss of thrust. Within a second, both fuel control switches moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF,” starving the GE Aerospace GEnx-1B engines of fuel. The CVR captures the chaos: at 08:08:45, cockpit alarms began blaring, warning of low thrust and engine failure, as the aircraft’s altitude dropped rapidly. By 08:08:47, the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployed, indicating a total loss of engine power.

The final 26 seconds, from 08:08:45 to the crash at 08:09:11, were marked by escalating panic. Kunder shouted, “Thrust dropping!” followed by, “Why did you cut off?” at 08:08:50, to which Sabharwal replied, “I didn’t do it!” as their voices overlapped amid the alarms. The aircraft’s altitude fell to 65 meters (213 feet) by 08:09:05, when a desperate “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY” call was transmitted, receiving no response from air traffic control. Six seconds later, the plane crashed nose-up into the B.J. Medical College hostel, 1.7 kilometers from the runway, scattering debris over 1,000 feet and igniting a massive fire.

The Leaked Audio: A Window into Chaos

The leaked CVR transcript, first reported by outlets like The Wall Street Journal and The Times of India, paints a vivid picture of the cockpit’s final moments. At 08:08:45, alarms blared as the engines lost power, with the Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor (ECAM) likely displaying “ENG 1 FAIL” and “ENG 2 FAIL.” The audio captures Kunder’s urgent question about the fuel cut-off, suggesting he noticed the switches’ positions or the sudden thrust loss. Sabharwal’s denial indicates confusion, possibly compounded by his struggle with the sliding seat. The overlapping voices reflect a breakdown in crew coordination, with both pilots grappling to diagnose the issue as the aircraft stalled.

The fuel switches, located on the center console behind the throttle levers, are designed with spring-loaded locking mechanisms and metal guards to prevent accidental movement. Moving them to “CUTOFF” requires deliberate action—lifting and flipping each switch—making an unintentional flip highly unlikely. Yet, the AAIB report notes the switches moved one second apart at 08:08:42, with no clear explanation of how or why. By 08:08:52, the switches were returned to “RUN,” triggering an automatic engine relight. Engine 1 began spooling up, but Engine 2 failed to recover thrust in time.

The Seat Pin Failure: A $15 Trigger

The AAIB’s preliminary report, released on July 8, 2025, identifies the root cause as a $15 seat track locking pin, serviced on June 1 but not reinspected, violating Air India’s maintenance protocols. The pin’s failure under takeoff G-forces caused Sabharwal’s seat to slide, leading to his reflexive grab of the throttle levers. This action, not the fuel switches, likely initiated the thrust loss, though the switches’ movement remains a mystery. The report rules out bird strikes, fuel contamination, or engine malfunctions, as both engines were healthy until the fuel cut-off.

Speculation has swirled about whether Sabharwal inadvertently or deliberately flipped the fuel switches. U.S. media, citing unnamed officials, suggest Sabharwal, as the monitoring pilot, had a freer hand to manipulate the switches, while Kunder was focused on flying. However, India’s Federation of Indian Pilots has condemned such claims as “premature and irresponsible,” noting the CVR’s ambiguity and the lack of cockpit video evidence. The absence of a full transcript fuels debate, with experts like Peter Goelz, former NTSB managing director, calling for its release to clarify the pilots’ actions.

Alarms and Automation: A Race Against Time

The Boeing 787’s cockpit alarms would have been deafening, with ECAM warnings and aural alerts signaling engine failure and low altitude. The RAT’s deployment at 08:08:47 provided emergency hydraulic and electrical power, but the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) auto-start at 08:08:54, taking up to 90 seconds, was too slow to restore critical systems. The pilots’ attempt to relight the engines within 10 seconds of the cut-off shows quick thinking, but the low altitude—dropping from 205 meters to 65 meters in under 20 seconds—left no margin for recovery.

Aviation experts note that the 787’s flight management system would have displayed immediate alerts for the fuel cut-off, yet the pilots’ confusion suggests they were overwhelmed by the sudden cascade of failures. The lack of an audible alarm specifically for fuel switch movement, as raised on forums like Reddit’s r/aviation, is a point of contention, with some arguing it could have prompted faster action.

Broader Implications and Public Outcry

The crash has sparked intense scrutiny of Air India’s maintenance practices and Boeing’s cockpit design. The 2018 FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) on disengaged fuel switch locking mechanisms, issued for Boeing 737s but applicable to 787s, was not acted upon by Air India, raising questions about oversight. The airline has since grounded its 787 fleet for inspections, resuming full operations by October 2025. Boeing, facing a 9% share price drop, is cooperating with the AAIB, NTSB, and UK investigators, with a final report expected by June 2026.

Families of the victims, like Sameer Rafik, whose cousin died, demand the full CVR release, expressing distrust in the Indian government’s selective reporting. The sole survivor, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, has become a symbol of the tragedy’s human toll, having lost his brother. Public outrage has fueled calls for cockpit video recorders, a proposal resisted by pilot unions but supported by investigators for clarity in such cases.

Lessons from the Chaos

The final 26 seconds of Air India Flight 171 reveal a tragic interplay of mechanical failure, human reflex, and systemic gaps. The defective seat pin, a seemingly minor component, triggered a cascade that overwhelmed two experienced pilots. The mysterious fuel switch movement, whether accidental or not, underscores the need for enhanced cockpit safeguards, such as tactile or audible warnings for critical controls. As the aviation industry grapples with this disaster, the haunting audio of alarms and overlapping voices will drive reforms to ensure such a tragedy is never repeated.