The Air India Ahmedabad plane crash that killed over 270 people may have been caused due to the pilot’s fault. The probe revealed the engine fuel cutoff switch was flipped 3 seconds after the plane took off. There are no details on how or why the flip happened, resulting in the cutting off of fuel to the engines. This made the Boeing 787 Dreamliner lose thrust and crash within a few minutes of takeoff.
The crash killed all the people on board, except for just one single survivor who was sitting in seat 11A near the emergency exit. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh had no idea how he exited the plane, but he was found alive, admitted to a hospital for treatment.
The plane crash did not just kill those on board, but also killed 19 people in the building it crashed into. The plane impacted the BJ Medical College and Hospital hostel building, leaving several injured on June 12.
According to the official report, the N1 and N2 engines reduced from the takeoff values as the fuel supply was cut off. The lead pilot was Captain Sumeet Sabharwal flying with co-pilot Clive Kunder.
AIR INDIA CRASH | KEY FINDINGS
Fuel cut-off mystery deepens.
Both pilots deny triggering it.
Engines shut down seconds after takeoff.
No weather issue. No bird hit.
The cause? Still unclear.#AirIndia #CrashReport #AviationSafety pic.twitter.com/zJOfu8YaWd— Amit Chaturvedi (@amittchaturvedi) July 11, 2025
It is believed that the pilots may have caused the devastating crash. Otherwise, it’s not possible to accidentally flip the switch. The cut-off switch is used when the plane requires the engine to stop, usually during emergencies or when a plane is at the airport gate. This helps in shutting down the plane when the engine is no longer needed to work.
The investigation reports had no indication of an emergency that would have required the fuel to be cut off. The cockpit audio reveals one pilot asking the other the reason for cutting off the fuel; the other pilot replied that he did not cut the fuel. So there is still debate over what happened that led to the fuel being cut off from the engine.
At this moment, the pilot called a mayday distress call. There are no details on which pilot made the call or which one may have been responsible for the fuel cut off. The investigation done at the crash site revealed that both the fuel cutoff switches were in the run position. This indicated they were relighted right before the crash.
A preliminary report on last month’s Air India crash, which killed 260 people, says fuel to the engines was cut just seconds after takeoff. @ABC News contributor and former pilot John Nance breaks down the findings. pic.twitter.com/0F6fEABF4U
— ABC News Live (@ABCNewsLive) July 11, 2025
Both pilots were experienced professionals with a combined 19,000 flying hours. The lack of explanation around the plane crash‘s reason has prompted more investigation to figure out the real reason.
They’ll find out how the switches were moved that may have caused the crash. Moreover, it’ll determine if the switches were moved or did they move on their own due to some fault. black box data will also be used to determine other possible reasons.
