Pilot Error or Technical Fault? AI171 crash Stirs Boeing 787 Debate
Debris of Air India Flight crash in Ahmedabad! (Image X.com)
Admiral Arun Prakash cites past ANA incident; Hotmail’s Sabir Bhatia faces backlash for controversial mental health remark
By KUMAR VIKRAM
NEW DELHI, July 14, 2025—A fiery debate has erupted over the preliminary findings of the Air India Flight AI171 crash investigation, with speculation intensifying around whether pilot error or a technical fault led to the tragedy.
Amid ongoing scrutiny, Admiral (Retd.) Arun Prakash, former Chief of Naval Staff, took to X (formerly Twitter) to draw parallels with a past Boeing 787 incident, writing: “Here we are! Un-demanded shut-down of both engines is not unknown in the Boeing 787. In 2019 an All Nippon Airways Dreamliner experienced shut-down of both engines—during the landing roll.”
Admiral Prakash also shared a screenshot from a The Aviation Herald report detailing the January 17, 2019 incident involving an ANA B787 at Osaka’s Itami Airport. In that case, both engines of the Dreamliner (Trent 1000) rolled back and shut down shortly after landing, prompting an investigation that found no immediate anomalies.
The reference comes as Indian investigators consider whether technical issues may have played a role in the Air India Flight AI171 crash in Ahmedabad, even as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has hinted at possible pilot error based on cockpit voice recordings and flight data.
Tech entrepreneur and Hotmail co-founder Sabir Bhatia also waded into the controversy, but his remarks have stirred outrage. In a now-deleted post on X, Bhatia speculated on the “mental stability” of one of the crew members—a statement that many users slammed as insensitive and premature.
Social media users accused Bhatia of rushing to exonerate Boeing while undermining the professionalism of Indian pilots. “You built Hotmail, not black boxes. Let the investigators do their job,” one post read, while others demanded an apology.
As the final report is awaited, the debate has turned into a broader reckoning for Boeing’s 787 fleet, with aviation safety experts warning against drawing hasty conclusions. The preliminary report released by the Director general of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had also made a passing reference to past glitches with Boeing plane.
The report mentioned an earlier advisory issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2018 regarding the fuel control switch locking mechanism in Boeing 787 planes, which had never been acted upon. According to the report, the FAA had issued Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB No. NM-18-33) in December 2018, warning operators of Boeing aircraft about the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature. This component, designed to prevent inadvertent shutdown of engines during flight, shares its design across several Boeing models, including the part installed on VT-ANB (Part No. 4TL837-3D).
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (registration VT-ANB), operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on June 12, crashed moments after take-off following the simultaneous and unexplained shutdown of both engines. All 230 passengers and crew on board are presumed dead, with the aircraft completely destroyed in a high-impact collision with buildings near the airport, followed by a fire.
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