24 July 2025
By Publisher Ray Carmen
It was meant to be a routine hop across continents. Instead, it became one of aviation’s most baffling tragedies in recent memory. And while sensational headlines scream “solved,” the truth—painful, complex, and still unfolding—is far more sobering.
The Crash That Shook the World
On 12 June 2025, Air India Flight AI‑171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, went down in a fiery crash just minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad, en route to London Heathrow. The toll: 260 lives lost—241 onboard, and 19 souls on the ground. Only one survivor emerged from the wreckage.
International investigations launched immediately. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) joined hands with the UK AAIB and U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Their early findings? No mechanical faults in the airframe itself.
But that’s where the real mystery begins.
Fuel Cutoff – But Why?
Data recovered from the flight’s black boxes revealed something chilling: both fuel-control switches were moved to “CUTOFF” mere seconds after takeoff—effectively starving the engines mid-air.
The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) caught a haunting exchange. One pilot asked, “Why did you cut off?” The other replied, “I did not.”
Let that sink in.
These switches aren’t something you bump by mistake. They require a two-step, deliberate motion. Could both have failed? Or were they moved—on purpose?
Technical Glitch or Human Hand?
Experts are split. Some point to human error, or worse, intentional sabotage. Others believe in the possibility of an obscure, perhaps previously unknown, electronic or software failure—possibly in the engine control units or power systems.
What’s certain is this: something or someone cut the engines. But assigning blame without facts is not only irresponsible—it dishonors the victims.
Media vs. Reality: Who’s Telling the Truth?
While tabloids like the Royal Mirror plaster “SOLVED” across their front pages, both Indian authorities and the NTSB have pushed back hard.
Their message? The investigation is still ongoing. Speculation about pilot guilt, intentional crashes, or “mystery switches” is premature and misleading.
Even India’s pilot associations have criticized the Western media’s rush to judgment, citing a history of bias in high-profile aviation cases.
Where We Stand Now
So what do we really know?
|
Question |
Current Status |
|---|---|
|
Who moved the switches? |
Unknown—voices on CVR not matched to individuals |
|
Accident or intent? |
No conclusive evidence of suicide or sabotage |
|
System failure? |
Possible—engine control systems under review |
|
Final blame? |
Awaiting final AAIB report (due June 2026) |
Meanwhile, safety checks have been ramped up across Boeing 787s, particularly those using GE engines, with a focus on fuel-control mechanisms—some of which were flagged in advisories dating back to 2018.
Final Take: Still a Mystery, Not a Verdict
As your Caribbean voice on the world stage, let me say this plainly: we’re only halfway through this tragic puzzle. The engines shut down because their fuel was cut. That much is fact.
But why that happened—whether by mistake, malicious act, or mysterious glitch—is still under investigation.
So when a headline shouts “case closed,” take a breath. Respect the process. Respect the lives lost.
Until the final report lands, all we truly know is this: there is no solved mystery—only unanswered questions.
Our thoughts remain with the families of all 260 victims. May justice, truth, and clarity find them in time.
