Air India Crash Report: Final Lens on Human-Machine Interface
Pratik Joshi and family in ill-fated Air India flight! (Image social media)
Aircraft Hit Army Medical Compound Before Crashing into Residential Structures; Debris Scattered Over Wide Area
By KUMAR VIKRAM
NEW DELHI, July 12, 2025 — A preliminary crash investigation into the June 12 tragedy involving Air India Flight AI171 has revealed harrowing details of the aircraft’s final moments, confirming that the Boeing 787-8 jet lost both engines seconds after take-off and subsequently disintegrated across multiple buildings after initial impact inside a military compound near Ahmedabad Airport.
The ill-fated aircraft, en route to London Gatwick, crashed barely one minute after departure, with 230 people onboard. The preliminary analysis from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and crash investigators now provides a clearer picture of the catastrophic sequence of events following the sudden dual engine shutdown.
Aircraft First Hit Trees, Military Chimney Before Building Impact
According to the investigation report, after both engines shut down mid-climb, the aircraft lost altitude rapidly. Its first impact was with a line of trees and an incineration chimney within the Army Medical Corps compound. From that initial contact point, the aircraft travelled 293 feet before striking the northeast wall of Building A.
The impact marks, structural damage, and wreckage dispersion suggest the aircraft was in a slightly nose-up (approx. 8°) and wings-level attitude at the time of collision.
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Widespread Disintegration Across Military-Residential Zone
As the aircraft struck Building A, it began fragmenting violently. The vertical stabilizer (tail fin) detached and landed about 200 feet south of the first building impact. The right-hand main landing gear and tail section were embedded into the building’s wall.
Debris continued to scatter across the complex:
- The right engine separated from the wing, hit a rooftop water tank, and came to rest under it, facing southwest.
- Sections of the right wing were found up to 520 feet away from the first impact site.
- The left main landing gear, along with the left wing’s mid and outboard sections, struck Building C and landed roughly 345 feet away.
- The nose landing gear was found 307 feet southwest of the initial contact site.
- The left engine broke off and collided with the north corner of Building D, causing extensive fire damage and structural compromise. Investigators noted the concrete column was cracked and rebar exposed.
Further debris from the forward fuselage, flight deck, and wings was found as far as 765 feet from the first impact point, spreading across Buildings C, D, E, and F. The cockpit windshield and control column area came to rest 650 feet away.
Evidence Suggests Attempted Engine Recovery
In earlier findings, investigators confirmed that the aircraft experienced fuel cutoff to both engines during initial climb — a condition not commanded by the pilots. Voice recordings captured one pilot questioning the other over the engine cutoff, with both denying intentional action.
Moments later, both engines were commanded to relight, and the aircraft’s Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployed, supplying emergency hydraulic power. While one engine showed signs of partial recovery, the aircraft could not sustain flight and crashed seconds later.
Controls Found in Take-Off Configuration
Despite the severe post-crash fire, several cockpit components were recovered and analyzed:
- The flap handle was found in the 5-degree setting, consistent with a normal takeoff.
- The landing gear lever was in the “DOWN” position.
- Both thrust levers, though found in idle position due to crash forces, had remained in forward (takeoff) thrust until impact, as per flight data.
- Fuel control switches were found in “RUN” position.
- Reverser levers remained in the stowed position, and wiring to the autothrottle systems was damaged but partially identifiable.
Further Investigation Underway
With the aircraft’s disintegration mapped over hundreds of feet and critical evidence suggesting unexplained engine cutoff midair, investigators are focusing on potential systemic or electrical faults that may have triggered the shutdown. The aircraft’s Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), though found intact, appears to have initiated automatically during the crisis.
No indications of external damage or bird strike were found. The final report is expected to examine human-machine interface factors, electrical failures, or possible software glitches within the flight control or engine systems. This remains one of the deadliest accidents involving a Boeing 787 and Air India.
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