The Ahmedabad Catastrophe: Unraveling the Air India Flight 171 Tragedy
Flight Profile and Immediate Aftermath
On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171 pushed back from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:13 PM local time, bound for London Gatwick. Aboard the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (registration VT-ANB) were 230 passengers, 10 cabin crew, and 2 pilots. Approximately 40 seconds after takeoff, both General Electric GEnx-1B70 engines lost power simultaneously during initial climb. The aircraft crashed into the B.J. Medical College hostel complex, killing 241 of 242 aboard and 19 people on the ground—India's deadliest aviation disaster in nearly three decades .
| Category | Information |
|---|---|
| Aircraft Type | Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner |
| Registration | VT-ANB (11 years old) |
| Survivors | 1 passenger (Vishwash Kumar Ramesh) |
| Ground Casualties | 19 killed, 67 injured |
| Flight Duration | 32 seconds airborne |
The Critical 32 Seconds: Sequence of Disaster
Takeoff (13:37:33 IST): Cleared for takeoff from runway 23 with light winds and good visibility .
Engine Failure (13:38:10): Both engines shut down within one second of each other at ~625 feet altitude .
Fuel Cutoff Activation: Fuel control switches moved from "RUN" to "CUTOFF" position, starving engines of fuel .
Failed Recovery: Partial engine relight occurred but insufficient for thrust recovery .
Impact (13:38:50): Aircraft crashed into medical hostel, triggering multiple explosions reaching 1,500°C .
Investigation Breakthroughs and Controversies
India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) preliminary report revealed chilling cockpit audio exchanges. According to sources, First Officer Clive Kunder (pilot flying) asked Captain Sumeet Sabharwal (pilot monitoring): "Why did you cut off?" Sabharwal reportedly denied touching the switches . The WSJ reported Kunder "panicked" while Sabharwal remained "calm" during the exchange .
Fuel Switch Mechanics:
Located behind throttle levers between pilots
Require deliberate upward pull before switching positions
Designed to prevent accidental movement .
Despite this, pilot unions fiercely reject human error theories. The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) condemned the "premature and irresponsible" assignment of blame, noting investigators excluded pilot representatives . Aviation expert Mary Schiavo highlighted a 2019 All Nippon Airways incident where software automatically triggered fuel cutoff during approach, suggesting similar flaws could exist here .
Human Impact: Heroes and Survivors
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal: 56, 15,600 flight hours (8,500 on 787), described as "meticulous" mentor .
First Officer Clive Kunder: 32, childhood aviation enthusiast inspired by his flight attendant mother .
Sole Survivor: Vishwash Kumar Ramesh (40) escaped through a ruptured emergency exit, suffering minor burns .
The Tata Group established a ₹500 crore ($60M) trust for victims' families, with ₹1 crore ($120,000) per family ex-gratia payment .
Safety Debates Ignited
Cockpit Cameras: The crash revived calls for cockpit video recorders. IATA head Willie Walsh stated video could provide "significant assistance" to investigators. Pilot unions oppose them over privacy concerns .
FAA Advisory Ignored: A 2018 FAA advisory noted potential flaws in Boeing 787 fuel-switch systems, but inspections weren't mandatory. Air India hadn't conducted them .
Fleet Inspections: India's DGCA ordered enhanced checks for Air India's 787 fleet, focusing on fuel systems and engine controls .
Unanswered Questions
While early evidence suggests possible human intervention with the fuel switches, investigators are also examining:
Potential software malfunctions mimicking the 2019 ANA incident
Electrical system glitches that could autonomously move switches
Cockpit ergonomics and switch placement behind throttles
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson urged against premature conclusions, emphasizing the investigation remains "far from over" .
Legacy and Lessons
As the aviation community awaits the AAIB's final report (due within a year), Flight 171's tragedy underscores critical tensions:
Transparency vs. Speculation: How early investigative data should be released
Technology vs. Training: Whether cockpit designs sufficiently prevent catastrophic errors
Accountability vs. Privacy: The ethics of cockpit surveillance
The memorial at B.J. Medical College stands as a somber reminder that behind every technical datum lie human stories—of medical students killed in their hostel, of a British survivor who lost his brother, and of pilots who, by all accounts, fought until impact to save their aircraft .
About Us
Social media marketing involves using platforms like Instagram and Facebook to promote brands and engage with customers. It encompasses promoting new products, interacting with customers through comments and creating content that reflects a brand's values and story .
Comments
Post a Comment