BREAKING: Air India Flight 171’s Black Box Reveals Engine Fires and Captain’s Struggle with Sliding Seat

On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick from Ahmedabad, India, crashed just 32 seconds after takeoff, killing 241 of the 242 passengers and crew on board and 19 people on the ground. The sole survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, escaped through a broken emergency exit. A preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), released on July 8, 2025, initially pointed to the mysterious movement of fuel control switches to the “CUTOFF” position as the cause of the dual engine failure. However, new details from the black box data, including the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR), have revealed a more complex and alarming sequence of events: both engines caught fire 38 seconds after takeoff, just as Captain Sumeet Sabharwal shouted, “I didn’t touch it,” while struggling with a malfunctioning, sliding pilot seat. This article delves into the latest findings, their implications, and the ongoing investigation into one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters.

The Crash: A Timeline of Catastrophe

Air India Flight 171 departed Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 13:38:39 IST (08:08:39 UTC) on June 12, 2025, with 230 passengers and 12 crew members. The aircraft, registered as VT-ANB, was a 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner powered by two General Electric GEnx-1B70 engines. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a veteran pilot with 15,600 flight hours, including 8,600 on the 787, was the pilot-in-command, while First Officer Clive Kunder, with 3,400 hours, was flying the aircraft.

According to the enhanced airborne flight recorders, the plane reached a maximum speed of 180 knots 33 seconds after takeoff. At 38 seconds, both engines registered fire warnings, and the CVR captured Captain Sabharwal’s exclamation, “I didn’t touch it,” as he grappled with a seat that was sliding uncontrollably. Simultaneously, the fuel control switches moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF,” starving the engines of fuel. The Ram Air Turbine (RAT), a backup power system, deployed at 08:08:47, indicating a total loss of engine-driven electrical generators. Despite attempts to restore the switches to “RUN” at 08:08:52 and 08:08:56, only Engine 1 began relighting, while Engine 2 failed to regain thrust. At 08:09:05, a desperate “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY” call was transmitted, and six seconds later, the aircraft crashed into the hostel block of B.J. Medical College, 1.7 kilometers from the runway, causing a massive explosion and fire.

The Black Box Revelations

The black box data has introduced critical new details that challenge earlier assumptions about the crash. The AAIB’s preliminary report, released on July 8, 2025, focused on the fuel control switches’ movement to “CUTOFF” but offered no explanation for why this occurred. The latest analysis, reported by sources close to the investigation, indicates that both engines experienced fire warnings at 38 seconds, just before the switches were moved. This suggests a potential mechanical or electrical issue that may have triggered the fires, followed by the fuel cutoff, rather than the cutoff being the sole cause of the engine failure.

The CVR’s capture of Captain Sabharwal shouting, “I didn’t touch it,” while struggling with a sliding seat adds another layer of complexity. The Boeing 787’s pilot seats are designed to lock securely, but a malfunction could have caused unintended movement, potentially distracting the captain during a critical phase of flight. The phrase “I didn’t touch it” was recorded in response to First Officer Kunder’s question, “Why did you cut off?” This exchange, previously reported without context, now appears tied to the seat issue and the simultaneous engine fire warnings. The lack of speaker identification in the preliminary report has fueled speculation, but sources suggest Kunder was focused on flying the aircraft, making it unlikely he manipulated the switches.

Theories and Speculation

The new black box data has sparked several theories about the crash’s cause. The presence of engine fire warnings raises questions about potential mechanical failures, such as issues with the General Electric GEnx-1B70 engines or the aircraft’s fuel system. However, the AAIB report noted that fuel samples from the refueling tanks were “satisfactory,” ruling out contamination for now. The engines, with 28,000 and 33,000 operating hours, had been installed less than three months prior, and no maintenance issues were reported.

Another theory points to the Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system, which monitors engine performance. A glitch in the FADEC could have misread sensor data, triggering an automatic shutdown or prompting the fire warnings. However, the CVR’s indication that the pilots were unaware of the switch movement until after the fact undermines this theory, as a FADEC-induced shutdown would likely have been accompanied by cockpit alerts.

The captain’s sliding seat introduces the possibility of human factors. A malfunctioning seat could have caused Sabharwal to inadvertently contact the fuel control switches, which are located on the throttle control module between the pilots. These switches are guarded by brackets and a metal stop-lock mechanism to prevent accidental movement, but a severe seat malfunction could have overcome these safeguards. Alternatively, the seat issue may have distracted Sabharwal, delaying his response to the engine fire warnings.

Some aviation experts, cited in sources like The Federal, have raised the possibility of a broader electrical failure. The RAT’s deployment before the switches were moved suggests a loss of engine-driven generators, potentially due to a lithium-ion battery fire or a wiring fault. The aft-enhanced airborne flight recorder (EAFR), located in the tail, was found charred and unreadable, despite the tail section being relatively intact, raising suspicions of an electrical issue in that area.

Investigation Challenges and Public Reaction

The AAIB, supported by Boeing, GE Aerospace, and investigators from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the UK, faces a complex task. The preliminary report’s selective disclosure of CVR data—revealing only the “Why did you cut off?” exchange—has drawn criticism from victims’ families and aviation analysts. Imtiyaz Ali, who lost four family members, called the report “like a product description,” lacking clarity on the crash’s cause. Families have demanded the full CVR transcript, with some, like Saiyed Javed Ali’s relative, expressing distrust in the Indian government’s transparency.

The investigation is also grappling with inconsistencies. The AAIB report’s timeline suggests the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) door opened at 08:08:54, which conflicts with the expected APU auto-start logic if the switches were moved at 08:08:42. This discrepancy, highlighted by a veteran pilot in India Today, points to potential errors in the report or unaddressed systemic issues.

Implications for Aviation Safety

The crash, the first fatal incident involving a Boeing 787 since its introduction in 2011, has raised questions about the aircraft’s systems and pilot training. Simulator experiments conducted by Air India training captains showed that the 787 could climb safely with one engine, even with flaps retracted and landing gear down, suggesting the dual engine failure was catastrophic. The absence of safety advisories for the 787 or its engines indicates that investigators do not yet see a systemic design flaw, but the focus on the fuel switches and seat malfunction underscores the need for robust cockpit ergonomics and system redundancies.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg has pledged full cooperation, sending experts to Ahmedabad and deferring to the AAIB’s findings. The company’s stock fell nearly 9% after the crash, reflecting market concerns about the 787’s safety record.

Looking Ahead

As the investigation continues, key questions remain: What caused the engine fire warnings? Was the seat malfunction a contributing factor, and if so, how? Why did the aft-EAFR fail to record data? The final report, expected within a year under ICAO rules, will likely include a time-stamped CVR transcript and detailed FDR analysis to clarify these points. For now, the tragedy of Air India Flight 171 serves as a stark reminder of the complexities of modern aviation and the human cost of even momentary failures.

Sources:

India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau Preliminary Report, July 8, 2025

BBC News, July 12, 2025

The Federal, July 25, 2025

India Today, August 1, 2025