Investigators looking into the crash of Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad suspect that a sudden power failure within seconds of take-off may have led to the fatal plunge of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The aircraft, bound for London Gatwick, crashed on 12 June shortly after take-off, claiming at least 241 lives on board and several more on the ground. Preliminary assessments based on wreckage patterns, ATC logs, and video footage suggest that the main electrical system failed when the aircraft had climbed to just 625 feet, far below the safe return threshold.
“The aircraft did not reach the minimum altitude required to execute an emergency turnaround or make use of its Ram Air Turbine (RAT),” an official familiar with the probe said. The RAT is a backup mechanism that can provide power to critical systems during a total electrical failure.
According to investigators, the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been secured and are currently under the custody of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu confirmed the recovery and said further analysis is underway.
“The decision regarding the location for decoding the flight recorders will be taken by the AAIB after due assessment of all technical, safety, and security considerations,” the ministry stated, following reports that the black boxes might be sent abroad.
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Officials have also ruled out initial signs of cockpit error, suggesting instead that the crew may have attempted to take manual control using the aircraft’s reversionary systems, but had no altitude cushion to recover.
Had the aircraft reached 3,600 feet or more, the RAT might have enabled a Mayday return, the official noted. Instead, the aircraft pitched up for liftoff but dropped steeply, separating the tail section on impact due to its nose-high position.
Investigators are now poring over technical logs, maintenance records, and recent flight history. The aircraft had completed Delhi–Paris and Tokyo–Delhi routes just hours before the crash. Attention is being paid to any unresolved anomalies, including ECAM alerts or sensor inconsistencies.
While sabotage is not indicated, officials are exploring the possibility of fuel contamination, particularly water in the fuel, which could trigger a loss of power undetectable before flight. Chemical tests on fuel system debris are underway.
Investigators are comparing the incident to a 2020 case at London Gatwick where an Airbus A321 suffered dual engine failure due to contaminated fuel but managed to return safely because it had climbed high enough.
This crash marks the first known fatal accident involving the Boeing 787 platform. Experts say the aircraft is engineered to handle severe system failures, including manual flight reversion and single-engine operation. However, the probe suggests that altitude loss rendered backup systems ineffective.
The findings have raised concerns over last-minute inspections, fuel quality protocols, and pre-flight checks, especially for long-haul wide-body aircraft. A final conclusion will depend on data retrieved from the black boxes and forensic testing of debris.
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