On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight AI 171 took off from Ahmedabad, bound for London Gatwick. Within seconds of becoming airborne, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner began losing power. Roughly half a minute after departure, the aircraft descended rapidly and crashed into a medical students’ hostel near B.J. Medical College. What was first feared to be a sudden technical malfunction is now being examined through a far more unsettling lens.
An investigation update reported by Italian daily Corriere della Sera suggests that Indian authorities have internally concluded the tragedy did not stem from an equipment failure. Citing sources familiar with recent exchanges between Indian and American officials, the newspaper claims investigators believe the engines were shut down intentionally. According to the account, the fuel supply controls for both engines were switched off shortly after takeoff an action that would immediately deprive the aircraft of thrust at a critical moment in flight.
The scale of the disaster was devastating. A total of 260 people lost their lives, including those onboard and several individuals inside the hostel struck by the aircraft. Only one passenger survived. The crash stands among the deadliest aviation accidents India has witnessed in decades.
The preliminary findings released months earlier had already established that both engine fuel switches moved from their normal operating position to cutoff almost simultaneously. At that stage, investigators refrained from speculating on motive and focused on ruling out external triggers. They found no indication of bird impact, contaminated fuel, or mechanical breakdown. Aircraft system data reportedly showed no automatic malfunction that could explain a dual engine shutdown on its own.
Now, according to the Italian report, further analysis of cockpit recordings and technical data has led investigators to believe the shutdown resulted from deliberate human action rather than system failure. US specialists assisting in the inquiry have reportedly described this development as a major turning point in understanding the crash.
However, these conclusions have not yet been formally confirmed. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation and India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau are still preparing the official final report.
Until that document is released, the findings remain based on media reports and unnamed sources. If validated, they would prompt difficult conversations about cockpit procedures, oversight mechanisms, and the human element in aviation safety issues that extend far beyond one tragic flight.
