‘Air India plane crash not caused by faulty fuel switch’:Govt tells Parliament, contradicts earlier report

The central government informed Parliament on Wednesday that the investigation into last year’s Air India AI-171 plane crash found no fault in the fuel control switch locking mechanism. This information came to light after advanced tests conducted by the aircraft manufacturing company. However, the preliminary investigation report of the AAIB, released last year, claimed that the fuel control switches of both engines had turned off shortly after takeoff. This caused both engines to shut down. On June 12, 2025, AI-171 flight bound for London crashed after colliding with the BJ Medical College hostel in Meghaninagar, killing 241 people on board and 19 people on the ground. Only one passenger survived. They clarified that no deficiency was found in the investigation of the fuel control switch locking mechanism. Government denied delay in final report The government also clarified that there has been no delay in the release of the aircraft accident investigation report. JB Methar Hisham had asked why the final report had not been released more than a year after the accident, whether the role of the pilots was also being investigated, and when the report would be made public. On this, Mohol said that the investigation of such large plane crashes cannot be completed within a fixed timeframe. The investigation depends on many technical aspects and constantly changing circumstances. Therefore, its timeframe is not predetermined. The minister said that all possible causes of the accident and every contributing factor related to it are being investigated. The final report will be made public after the investigation is complete. Now read about the Ahmedabad plane crash On June 12, 2025, Flight AI 171, going from Ahmedabad to London, crashed into a medical hostel building shortly after takeoff. 270 people died in it, including 241 passengers and crew members. Only one passenger survived the accident. According to Flightradar24, the last signal from the aircraft was received at an altitude of 190 meters (625 feet), which came immediately after takeoff. India’s civil aviation regulator DGCA stated that the aircraft took off from runway 23 at 1:39 PM on June 12. After taking off, the aircraft’s pilot sent a Mayday call (emergency message) to the Air Traffic Controller, but no response was received thereafter. According to the air traffic controller, a total of 242 people were on board the aircraft, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew. ​