AI 171 crash: Interim report found ‘no mechanical or maintenance issues’, Air India CEO urges against premature conclusions

Ahmedabad plane crash: Fuel switches cut off before AI plane crash, reveals first investigation report

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) preliminary report on AI 171’s fatal crash has identified no cause, nor has it made any recommendations to the airline, Air India’s chief executive officer (CEO) Campbell Wilson said on July 14, urging people to avoid drawing premature conclusions while pointing that no mechanical or maintenance issues were found with either the Boeing aircraft or its engines.

"The preliminary report identified no cause nor made any recommendations, so I urge everyone to avoid drawing premature conclusions as the investigation is far from over," Wilson said in a letter addressed to its employees on July 14.

The preliminary report also found no mechanical or maintenance issues with the twin-engine Boeing 787 Dreamliner (VT-ANB) aircraft or engines, and that all mandatory maintenance tasks had been completed, CEO Wilson added. “There was no issue with the quality of fuel and no abnormality with the take-off roll. The pilots had passed their mandatory pre-flight breathalyser and there were no observations pertaining to their medical status.”

Air India CEO urged employees to ‘remain focused’ and not be diverted from the airlines' top priorities, that is “standing by the bereaved and those injured, working together as a team, and delivering a safe and reliable air travel experience to our customers around the world.”

The interim report has triggered a ‘new round of speculation’, CEO Campbell Wilson acknowledged, however, he added that many of the ‘ongoing cycle of theories, allegations, rumours’ have later been disproven. Read More

He added that following the June 12, 2025 crash of Air India flight AI 171, Air India carried out checks for all its 23 Boeing 787 aircraft operating in the airline's fleet and all were found fit for service.

"We continue to perform all necessary checks, as we will any new ones that authorities may suggest," Wilson said.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), on July 12, released its preliminary report into the Air India flight 171 crash, revealing that the two switches supplying fuel to the twin-engine Boeing 787 Dreamliner (VT-ANB) had been found in the 'Cutoff' position moments after take off and within a second’s gap.

Read More: Air India crash: What are the fuel switches at the centre of the probe?

"In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why he cut off the fuel supply. The other pilot responded that he had not done so," AAIB said in its 15-page preliminary report into the accident that killed 270 people on June 12.

The AAIB report suggested that cutting off of the fuel may have been the reason for the loss of thrust that led to the worst aviation disaster involving an Indian airline in four decades. But question remains - how did it happen during the most crucial phase of the flight?