Air India Flight 171 lost thrust seconds after takeoff, and investigators now point to the cockpit

Investigators examining last year’s Air India Flight 171 crash have concluded that the pilot in command deliberately cut fuel to both engines, as reported by NextShark. The finding marks a significant development in the probe into one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent memory.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner lost all thrust seconds after taking off on June 12, 2025, in Ahmedabad. The aircraft crashed into a medical student hostel, killing 241 people on board and 19 on the ground.

Authorities in India, working with technical experts from the United States and the United Kingdom, analyzed cockpit voice and flight data recorders recovered shortly after the crash. The recordings reportedly indicate a manual shutdown of both engines, with no evidence of mechanical failure that would have required such an action.

Investigators focus on manual fuel cutoff in cockpit

The Boeing 787’s twin engines rely on electronically controlled fuel systems that require deliberate manual input to alter fuel flow. Investigators reviewed throttle positions, engine core speeds, and fuel flow data to reconstruct the sequence of events between liftoff and impact.

The report also references Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, alleging he had been battling depression in the months before the crash, citing unnamed sources close to the inquiry. Separate reporting has also tracked unrelated disputes like a massive TikTok roaming bill that drew attention over consumer contract terms.

Sabharwal’s family has rejected those claims and called for a fresh and impartial investigation into the incident. Pilot associations in India have raised concerns about reports assigning responsibility before the final findings are released, urging authorities to refrain from attributing blame until the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau issues its official determination.

The crash has also prompted legal scrutiny, with reports that Air India offered financial settlements to some victims’ families that included provisions potentially limiting further legal action against the airline and the aircraft manufacturer. Other recent coverage has noted Meta $65M political spend in a separate context tied to policy pressure and industry lobbying. Air India has not publicly disclosed the terms of any agreements, and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has not yet released its final report on the cause of the crash.