The newly released crash report into Air India Flight 171 reveals the heart breaking sequence of events that unfolded on board. What began as a routine journey tragically spiralled into disaster — not due to mechanical failure or weather, but as a result of what appears to be a manual shut-off of fuel supply to the aircraft’s engines by one of the pilots or an unknown issue with the Boeing 787.
In the wake of this revelation, we’ve broken down the key moments from the flight to help readers understand exactly what happened, and when.
Time (UTC) Event
05:47 VT-ANB lands at Ahmedabad as AI423 from Delhi
06:25 Flight crew of AI171 undergo breath analyser test and issued a fit to fly
06:40 Aircraft released for flight after rectification of “STAB POS XDCR” tech log entry
07:05 Flight crew seen at the boarding gate via CCTV
07:40 Scheduled departure time of AI171
07:43:00 Pushback and startup request by crew
07:43:13 ATC approves pushback
07:46:59 ATC approves engine start
07:49:12 ATC confirms aircraft requires full runway length
07:55:15 Aircraft requests and receives taxi clearance
07:56:08 Aircraft begins taxi to Runway 23
08:02:03 Aircraft transferred from Ground to Tower Control
08:03:45 Instructed to line up on Runway 23
08:07:33 Cleared for takeoff – wind 240° at 6 knots
08:07:37 Aircraft begins takeoff roll
08:08:33 Aircraft crosses V1 speed – 153 knots Indicated Air Speed ( IAS)
08:08:35 Aircraft reaches Vr – 155 knots IAS
08:08:39 Liftoff – air/ground sensors show transition to air mode
08:08:42 Aircraft reaches max IAS of 180 knots - a standard speed at takeoff
Until this point everything is considered standard and ‘normal’
What follows next in the timeline is both staggering and heartbreaking — a series of actions that defy understanding and ultimately sealed the fate of all on board.
08:08:42–43 Engine 1 fuel switch moves to CUTOFF - a process that can only be done manually
08:08:43–44 Engine 2 fuel switch moves to CUTOFF
- The Engine N1 and N2 began to decrease from their take-off values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off -
-In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so -
08:08:47 Rapid Air Turbine deploys – supplying hydraulic power as engines wind down
08:08:52 Engine 1 fuel switch set back to RUN
08:08:54 APU Inlet Door begins opening (APU auto-start triggered)
08:08:56 Engine 2 fuel switch also set back to RUN
08:09:05 Crew transmits “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY”
08:09:11 Flight data recording stops – aircraft crashes moments later
08:14:44 Airport Crash Fire Tender exits perimeter for
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