AI171 Crash: Pilots’ Body Says Uncommanded Fuel Switch Movement May Indicate Glitch
Captain Charanvir Singh Randhawa, President of FIP, said the preliminary report lacked clarity, particularly about cockpit control and the system’s behaviour.
Published : July 13, 2025 at 4:41 PM IST
Mumbai/New Delhi: The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has raised serious doubts about the preliminary findings of the Air India AI171 crash and pointed to potential “electrical or software malfunctions.” On the contrary, aviation safety experts claimed that it was too early to draw decisive conclusions.
Captain Charanvir Singh Randhawa, President of FIP, said the preliminary report lacked clarity, particularly about cockpit control and the system’s behaviour.
“The aircraft was actually being flown by the co-pilot, who was the one controlling the plane, while the captain, who was the pilot-in-command, was monitoring the flight. So, it's still unclear who made the key decisions,” Randhawa told ANI. “The preliminary report doesn't make that clear, even though it would have been easy to identify from the Cockpit Voice Recorder who was speaking.”
Another major concern highlighted by Randhawa is the mention of the aircraft’s fuel control switch changing from “CUTOFF” to “RUN” in the absence of physical input.
“This suggests there might have been an electrical or software glitch. It seems the system detected that the switch had been moved, even though no one physically touched it,” he said.
Referring to a Boeing advisory from December 2018 warning of similar malfunctions in some 737 aircraft, Randhawa said, “If that information was available, then all the aircraft should have been checked. This circular should have been a directive rather than just an advisory.
He claimed that flight data shows that the Boeing Dreamliner reached 180 knots at 08:08 for two seconds. Ten seconds later, the fuel control switches were recorded as changed, possibly without pilot input. “Also, it's clear that the landing gear wasn't retracted, and the flaps remained in takeoff position. This suggests some malfunction may have occurred,” he said.
The FIP president said that he doesn’t believe the pilots would have moved the fuel control switches unless they were aware of a dual engine failure causing a loss of thrust. “But according to the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), they didn't move the switches If the pilots moved the switches, it may have been in response to the issue. If not, it may have been an electrical fault that falsely indicated a change.”
“I hope that in the next phase of the investigation, these questions are answered clearly. It's also important that the CVR transcript identifies who was giving the commands in the cockpit,” Randhawa added.
Meanwhile, former Director of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), Group Captain Aurobindo Handa, said one must refrain from concluding the report.
“Even though the report is out, it just contains the facts… what has gone on in those 30-odd seconds. It is nothing conclusive,” Handa said during a discussion on a private news channel.
On Saturday, the AAIB released the preliminary report, which claimed that both engines lost thrust after the two fuel cut-off switches moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF.” However, cockpit voice data suggested that one of the pilots told the other he had not turned off the switches. The switches were returned to the “RUN” position just before the crash.
“The initial and final findings often differ in air crash investigations. We have seen the initial findings and the final findings—they are at variance in the majority of the investigations,” he said and suggested the need for a deeper technical analysis and a methodical process to determine the real cause.
Amid critical statements, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu urged the public and media to avoid speculating until the full report is released.
The Air India flight AI171, involving a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, claiming 260 lives, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground.
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