THE AIR INDIA DISASTER AND WHAT WE KNOW...
GROK: The preliminary report on the Air India Flight 171 crash, which occurred on June 12, 2025, in Ahmedabad, India, indicates that the fuel control switches on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner were moved from the "RUN" to the "CUTOFF" position seconds after takeoff, leading to both engines losing power and the subsequent crash that killed 260 people. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, based on sources familiar with U.S. officials’ early assessment, that the captain may have deliberately moved the fuel switches, with the first officer questioning the action, as captured on the cockpit voice recorder (CVR). However, the preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) does not assign blame and leaves open several questions about the cause. Below, I explore alternatives to the WSJ’s assumption that the fuel controls being switched off and then on is the sole crux of the matter, considering more complex possibilities based on available infor...