AI-171 Crash: Pilots' Body Suggests A Pre-Lift-Off Electrical Error May Have Cut Fuel To Both Engines
· Free Press Journal
Mumbai: The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has challenged the prevailing pilot error narrative in last year’s Air India crash in Ahmedabad, proposing that a pre-lift-off electrical error could have caused the dual engine shutdown. The pilots’ body has asked the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) to treat the hypothesis as a credible technical cause before continuing to suggest deliberate pilot action.
Pre-Lift-Off Electrical Error, Not Pilot Action
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The investigation of the AI-171 crash, which killed 260 people in June 2025, is reportedly tilting towards deliberate pilot action. However, pilots’ bodies have been constantly rejecting the narrative and pushing theories of electrical failure.
In a significant twist to the investigation, FIP has presented a sophisticated hypothesis that a pre-lift-off electrical disturbance, potentially triggered by a battery short circuit, may have caused the aircraft’s computer-controlled fuel cut-off, shutting down both engines simultaneously without any pilot intervention. According to the federation, Ahmedabad Airport’s CCTV footage shows the Ram Air Turbine (RAT), a small emergency wind turbine that provides backup power, deploying while the aircraft was still on its takeoff roll.
RAT Deployment on Takeoff Roll
Under normal conditions, the RAT is an automated last resort system. The FIP argued that its early deployment indicates a major electrical failure occurred before the plane left the ground. It stated that manual deployment of the RAT is highly unlikely, as the control is guarded and its deployment suggests a pre-lift-off technical issue. It stated that once the RAT deploys, the Captain and First Officer instrument buses are connected, creating a common return path for current, allowing any electrical disturbance to affect both engines.
The technical core of the submission involves the Boeing 787’s complex DC electrical system. The FIP points to historical lithium-ion battery failures – notably the 2013 incidents in Boston and Takamatsu – where internal short circuits caused electrical arcing and massive heat. Using Ohm’s Law, the FIP explained that a high-current surge through a damaged battery can cause the ground voltage to rise, creating a reverse voltage pathway.
Lithium-Ion Battery Failures
The FIP stated that the Boeing 787 uses dual-coil latching relays to control fuel flow and claimed that a voltage reversal can cause these relays to transfer or flip positions, citing an aerospace relay manufacturer. It suggested that this electrical surge drove the fuel valves from "RUN" to "CUTOFF" automatically, starving both engines of fuel at the most critical phase of flight.
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The federation is urging the Ministry to move beyond the preliminary findings and engage independent technical experts to develop testable hypotheses. They have specifically recommended IIT Bombay, Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to examine the theory.
"Technical causes cannot be ruled out until this analysis is made," asserted FIP’s president Capt. CS Randhawa. The body is also demanding a Boeing 787 simulator session to verify the timings and scenarios presented in the AAIB report.
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