3 Seconds to Disaster: The Mystery of Air India 171 Why Both Engines Quit 3 Seconds After Takeoff

Описание: On the morning of June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171 took off from Ahmedabad, India, bound for London. It was a state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 230 passengers and 11 crew members on board. The conditions were ideal, the pilots were highly experienced veterans, and the aircraft was nearly new. But just three seconds after leaving the ground, while the aircraft was climbing past 150 knots, the unthinkable happened: both engines shut down simultaneously. This is the terrifying story of Air India 171, a disaster that triggered a global debate over pilot suicide versus catastrophic mechanical failure.

✈️ CHAPTER 1: THE PERFECT TAKEOFF & THE DEADLY SILENCE The flight was commanded by Captain Sumit Sabharwal, an aviation veteran with 15,600 flying hours, alongside co-pilot Clive Kunder. At 1:38 PM, the Air India 171 engines roared to life, and the plane accelerated down the runway. After hitting V1 speed and lifting off, the landing gear retracted perfectly.

The Cut-Off: Just three seconds into the climb, the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) captured a chilling event. The fuel switches for Engine 1 and Engine 2 were flipped to the "Cut Off" position exactly one second apart. On a Boeing 787, these switches are designed with a specific locking mechanism that requires a deliberate, two-handed action to move. Instantly, the massive GEnx engines starved of fuel and the cockpit went silent as the plane became a 200-ton glider.

🎙️ CHAPTER 2: THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER (CVR) "I DIDN'T DO IT" Inside the cockpit, the atmosphere turned from routine to pure terror. The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) revealed a confusing exchange that has haunted investigators. One pilot is heard shouting, "Why did you cut the fuel?" while the other desperately screams, "I didn't do it!" * The RAT Deployment: As total power was lost, the Ram Air Turbine (RAT)—a small emergency propeller—deployed automatically to provide basic electrical flight controls. The pilots fought to restart the engines, flipping the switches back to "Run." While Engine 1 reignited in 10 seconds and Engine 2 in 14, the Air India 171 was simply too low and too slow. The aircraft stalled and crashed into a building just 1,600 meters from the runway.

🔍 CHAPTER 3: THE LOCKING MECHANISM MYSTERY & THE "GHOST" The core of the Air India 171 investigation centers on the fuel control switches. To flip them, a pilot must push a lock and pull a lever—a design meant to prevent accidental activation by an elbow or a stray hand.

The FAA Warning: Investigators uncovered a previous FAA Airworthiness Directive warning that on certain Boeing models, the fuel switch locking mechanism could become loose or faulty. If the locks were degraded, a simple physical bump could potentially trigger a shutdown.

Suicide vs. Failure: Unlike the Germanwings 9525 or MH370 cases, the evidence here points away from a suicide mission. The pilots issued a frantic Mayday call, attempted an immediate engine relight, and pulled the nose up to avoid the impact. This suggests a catastrophic mechanical failure or a "ghost" in the system rather than intentional pilot suicide.

📍 CONCLUSION: THE POLARIZING FINAL REPORT The crash of Air India Flight 171 remains one of the most polarizing mysteries in modern aviation. Was it a billion-to-one mechanical coincidence where both locks failed at once, or a momentary, tragic lapse of confusion? As the aviation world awaits the final report, this tragedy serves as a grim reminder that in the sky, three seconds is the difference between life and death.

📽️ Video Chapters:

Introduction: The Impossible Event on June 12, 2025

The Takeoff: Air India 171 Leaves Ahmedabad

3 Seconds Later: Both Engines Spool Down

The CVR Transcript: "Why Did You Cut the Fuel?"

The Glider: Deploying the Ram Air Turbine (RAT)

The Restart Attempt: Why 14 Seconds Wasn't Enough

The Locking Mechanism: Can You Flip a 787 Switch by Accident?

The FAA Bulletin: Previous Warnings About Boeing Fuel Switches

Suicide vs. Accident: Analyzing the Pilots' Final Actions

Conclusion: The Legacy of the Air India 171 Mystery

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