Officials inspect the site of Thursday’s Air India plane crash on the roof of a building in Ahmedabad, India, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
Investigators say both engines on an Air India flight that crashed last month near Ahmedabad were shut down mid-flight due to fuel control switches being moved to the “cutoff” position, according to a preliminary report released Friday by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.
Cockpit voice recordings captured one pilot asking, “Why did you cut off?” and the other responding, “I didn’t,” raising questions about whether the switches were moved accidentally or intentionally. The ram air turbine, a backup emergency power source, deployed during the flight, signaling a total engine failure.
The debris of an airplane sticks out of a building after it crashed in India’s northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
The Boeing 787, operated by Air India, went down on June 12 shortly after takeoff, killing at least 270 people.
Both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were recovered and analyzed. U.S. aviation officials, Boeing, and engine manufacturer GE are assisting in the investigation. A final report with technical findings and recommendations is expected within the next year.