New Delhi : The head of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has urged caution amid growing speculation about the cause of the tragic Air India Flight 171 crash, which killed 260 people on June 12. Responding to media reports suggesting pilot error involving fuel control switches, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy emphasized that such reports are “premature and speculative.”
“Investigations of this magnitude take time,” Homendy posted on social media platform X on Friday. She did not name specific reports but made it clear that drawing conclusions at this stage of the investigation is inappropriate.
The investigation is being led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), with support from the NTSB. Both agencies, along with Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, have appealed to the public and media to avoid speculation until the full facts are established.
The preliminary report by AAIB revealed that two fuel control switches on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner were moved to the “cutoff” position immediately after takeoff, cutting off fuel supply to the engines. Although the switches were turned back on 10 seconds later, it was too late to prevent the aircraft from crashing.
A cockpit voice recorder (CVR) recovered from the wreckage captured First Officer Clive Kunder asking Captain Sumeet Sabharwal why the switches were moved. Captain Sabharwal reportedly responded, “I didn’t.”
Investigators are now focused on determining whether the switches were moved intentionally, accidentally, or due to mechanical or system failure. So far, no mechanical faults have been found with the aircraft or its GE Aerospace-manufactured engines.
In response to the incident, India’s civil aviation authority has ordered immediate inspections of fuel switch systems on all Boeing 737 and 787 aircraft operating within the country. The move is a precautionary step to rule out any equipment-related issues.
Authorities have reiterated that final investigation reports—which outline the probable cause and recommendations for safety improvements—can take up to a year or more to be released.
Until then, officials stress the importance of allowing investigators to complete their work methodically and without external pressure.
