Air India Crash: Investigators Eye Technical Glitches, Software Faults and Fuel Switch Malfunction
In the aftermath of the tragic Air India crash on June 12, which claimed the lives of 260 people—including all 241 passengers and crew on board—investigators are now turning their attention to a critical set of clues: possible malfunctions in the aircraft’s software and electrical systems.
One of the main areas under scrutiny is the behavior of the fuel control system, particularly the switches that regulate fuel flow to the engines. According to sources closely following the investigation, the focus is on whether there could have been an "un-commanded transition"—that is, a system-initiated move without pilot input—where the fuel control switches shifted to cut-off mode seconds after the aircraft lifted off.
If confirmed, such a failure could have caused the engines to lose power suddenly, which aligns with the sequence of events observed before the crash. The aircraft lost altitude and crashed into a nearby field less than a minute after takeoff.
This line of inquiry has gained more urgency following a strikingly similar incident involving the same aircraft just six months earlier. On December 12, 2024, the very same Air India flight (AI-171), operating the Ahmedabad-to-Gatwick route, had to abort its journey before even leaving the gate. A serious technical snag was detected at the last minute, prompting Air India to cancel the flight and call off boarding altogether. At the time, it was considered a precautionary move, but now, in the wake of the crash, that earlier snag is being re-examined for possible links.
Investigators are trying to establish whether that earlier glitch was connected to any malfunction in the same electrical or software systems that might have played a role in the June tragedy. Experts are analyzing maintenance logs, cockpit voice recordings, flight data, and internal component diagnostics to determine whether these incidents were isolated or part of a deeper systemic fault.
Modern aircraft are highly automated, relying on a complex integration of hardware and software. While automation usually enhances safety and efficiency, it also introduces the risk of hidden faults that may remain undetected until they are triggered mid-flight. In rare but critical cases, automated systems can override pilot commands—or act independently—if sensors detect anomalies or if there's a programming fault.
What raises further concern is that the fuel control switches, designed to cut off or restore engine fuel flow, should only change state when explicitly directed by the pilot. If these switches did in fact move to “cut-off” on their own, it could point to a catastrophic design or software error.
While the investigation remains ongoing, safety regulators and aviation engineers are working alongside the airline and aircraft manufacturer to review similar systems across other aircraft in operation. The goal is to identify any recurring patterns or early warning signs in case other planes are at risk.
Meanwhile, Air India has grounded other aircraft of the same model pending thorough inspections. The airline has also initiated internal reviews and is cooperating fully with the investigation team.
The tragic crash has sent shockwaves across the aviation industry, not only due to the scale of the loss but also because of the implications it could have for aircraft safety protocols and automated systems. For now, the key question remains: was this a one-off disaster caused by a rare malfunction, or a preventable failure that went unnoticed for far too long?
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