2025-07-17T13:42:01Z

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Imagine soaring into the sky, only for a simple switch flick to send hundreds of lives into chaos. This heart-wrenching scenario unfolded as Air India's Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, met its tragic end shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, leaving the world in shock.

On July 12, 2025, the wreckage of this colossal aircraft lay scattered outside Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, painting a grim picture of what was supposed to be a routine flight. The incident resulted in the heartbreaking loss of 260 lives, sparking a global conversation about aviation safety and human error.

Reports have emerged suggesting a startling twist: dialogue from the cockpit voice recorder revealed that the captain might have inadvertently turned off the fuel supply just after takeoff. This action prompted panic from the first officer, as detailed in a report by The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials' initial assessments.

The preliminary report, released last week, delved into technical specifics, showing that the fuel cutoff switches inexplicably moved from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' within a second of each other, effectively starving both engines of fuel. The cockpit recording captured a tense exchange between the pilots, with one questioning the other's actions. However, both denied initiating the fatal sequence.

As the world grapples with this devastating loss, the aviation industry faces intense scrutiny. Was this a simple human error or an unfathomable lapse in protocol? The quest for answers continues, as each revelation brings more questions than resolutions.