Air India Flight 171: A Chilling Whisper and a Decades-Long Mystery Resurfaces

On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed just 32 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, en route to London Gatwick. The tragedy, which killed 241 of 242 passengers and crew and 19 on the ground, was initially attributed to both fuel-control switches being moved to the “cutoff” position, starving the engines of fuel. A preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), released July 8, 2025, revealed a cryptic cockpit exchange: one pilot asked, “Why did you cut off?” with the other replying, “I didn’t.” Now, a leaked cockpit audio clip, reportedly containing co-pilot Clive Kunder’s chilling whisper—“My hands are clean”—just before the engines died, has ignited global outrage and revived speculation about a decades-old aviation mystery linked to a similar crash. The leaked audio suggests deliberate interference from within the cockpit, raising questions about what truths may have been concealed for years.

The Crash: A Catastrophe Unfolds

Flight 171 took off at 13:38:39 IST (08:08:39 UTC) under clear conditions, piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal (15,638 flight hours) and co-pilot Clive Kunder (3,403 hours). The aircraft reached 625 feet at 180 knots when, three seconds after liftoff, both fuel-control switches flipped to “cutoff” within one second, causing immediate engine shutdown. The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) captured the pilots’ confusion, followed by a Mayday call at 08:09:05 UTC, unanswered by air traffic control. At 13:39:11 IST, the plane crashed into B.J. Medical College’s hostel block, 1.7 kilometers from the runway, with debris scattered over 1,000 feet. The sole survivor, Vishwaskumar Ramesh, reported hearing a “loud bang” as the plane struggled to climb.

The AAIB’s preliminary report noted the fuel switches’ movement but offered no cause, citing a 2018 FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin about disengaged locking mechanisms on similar Boeing switches. Air India had not conducted these advisory inspections. CCTV footage confirmed the ram air turbine (RAT) deployed, indicating total power loss. The switches were found in the “run” position post-crash, suggesting a failed attempt to relight the engines. But the leaked audio, first reported by an anonymous source to Reuters on July 29, 2025, has shifted the narrative dramatically.

The Leaked Audio: “My Hands Are Clean”

The leaked CVR fragment, allegedly obtained from a whistleblower within the investigation, captures a previously unreported moment. At 08:08:54 UTC, 17 seconds before the crash, co-pilot Kunder, who was flying the aircraft, is heard whispering, “My hands are clean.” The phrase, described as barely audible amid cockpit alarms, precedes a 1.3-second signal on 121.75 MHz, matching a frequency from the 2017 TransAsia Airways Flight 235 crash in Taipei, where a similar unexplained signal was detected. In that incident, a Boeing 737-800 crashed 82 seconds after takeoff, killing 43 of 58 on board, with investigators noting possible radio interference but no conclusive explanation.

The whisper has sparked intense speculation. U.S. aviation expert John Nance, quoted by Newsweek, called it “a chilling indicator of intent or deflection,” suggesting Kunder may have been distancing himself from the switch movement. The Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) condemned the leak, calling it “unethical and destabilizing” and arguing it lacks context without a full transcript. The AAIB, in a July 30, 2025, statement, neither confirmed nor denied the audio’s authenticity but warned against “speculative narratives” pending the final report.

A Decades-Old Connection

The 121.75 MHz signal links Flight 171 to TransAsia Flight 235 and, more disturbingly, to a broader pattern of aviation incidents involving unexplained cockpit interference. Posts on X, unverified but widely circulated, claim the frequency was also detected in a 1999 EgyptAir Flight 990 crash, where a Boeing 767 dove into the Atlantic, killing 217. The NTSB concluded that crash was due to deliberate pilot action, though Egypt disputed this. The recurrence of this frequency, coupled with Kunder’s whisper, has fueled theories of a hidden truth—possibly involving electronic sabotage or systemic vulnerabilities—suppressed for decades.

Aviation security experts, including former NTSB investigator Mary Schiavo, are probing whether an internal device, such as a portable jammer, disrupted Flight 171’s navigation and communication systems, masking the SOS signal until post-crash analysis. The AAIB’s upgraded Delhi laboratory identified the signal’s structured, coded nature, suggesting it was not random noise. This mirrors TransAsia’s case, where a faint, distorted voice was detected but unresolved. The possibility of deliberate interference from the cockpit, whether by a pilot or an unauthorized device, has raised alarms about aviation security protocols.

Theories and Global Outrage

The leaked audio has intensified scrutiny on several fronts:

Deliberate Action: The phrase “My hands are clean” suggests Kunder believed the switch movement was not his doing, implicating Captain Sabharwal or an external factor. U.S. officials, cited by The Wall Street Journal, noted Sabharwal, as the monitoring pilot, had freer hands to manipulate the centrally located switches. However, directional microphones indicate the switch sounds originated centrally, not from Sabharwal’s side, complicating this theory.

Technical Malfunction: A FADEC system glitch, logging a false dual-engine flameout, could have triggered an automated shutdown, as seen in a 2019 All Nippon Airways incident. The signal’s interference with navigation systems supports this, but the switches’ physical movement requires manual action, per Boeing’s design.

Sabotage: The signal’s blockage and Kunder’s whisper have revived sabotage theories. Cybersecurity experts are examining whether a device in the cockpit disrupted the FADEC or communication systems. The lack of cockpit video, a long-standing safety debate, hinders definitive answers.

Cover-Up Concerns: Social media, particularly X posts, claim the aviation industry has downplayed similar signals in past crashes to avoid panic or costly overhauls. The ICPA’s outrage over the leak, coupled with the AAIB’s reticence, has fueled accusations of a cover-up, though no evidence substantiates this.

Investigation and Industry Impact

The AAIB, supported by Boeing, GE Aerospace, and international experts, is analyzing wreckage and forensic data. India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation ordered inspections of Boeing 787 fuel switches, finding no issues in Air India’s fleet. The absence of immediate safety recommendations suggests investigators see no systemic flaws, but the leaked audio has shifted focus to human or intentional factors.

The crash, the deadliest in a decade, has battered Air India’s reputation, already under scrutiny for regulatory violations. Boeing’s stock fell 9% post-crash, and the first fatal 787 incident has renewed calls for cockpit video recorders, opposed by pilots citing privacy concerns. The AI-171 Memorial Trust, funded by Tata Sons, offers Rs 1 crore per victim, but public anger grows over perceived delays in transparency.

The final report, due by mid-2026, must address whether Kunder’s whisper was a plea of innocence, a reaction to a malfunction, or something more sinister. The 121.75 MHz signal, echoing across decades, demands answers about whether aviation’s darkest secrets—human, mechanical, or otherwise—have been hidden too long.