Air India Crash: Could Cockpit Video Recorders Have Unveiled The Fuel Cut-Off Mystery?

Last Updated:July 12, 2025, 10:56 IST

The big question in the AI-171 crash is if the fuel cut-off happened by mistake, was sabotage, or an inherent technical fault as flagged once by the FAA seven years ago

The Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad. (File image: PTI)

Commercial airlines do not have any cockpit video cameras—something that may have resolved the mystery on how the fuel cut-off switches on the ill-fated AI-171 moved from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ position and led to one of the worst aviation disasters.

For the last 15 years, the US National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) has been recommending such video recorders inside the cockpits of commercial airlines, both existing and future ones, in addition to the cockpit voice recorders. NTSB has made this recommendation repeatedly, and in its last list of “most-wanted" transportation safety improvements too. But privacy concerns cited by pilot associations have thwarted this move.

The big question in the AI-171 crash is did the fuel cut off happen by mistake, was sabotage, or an inherent technical fault as flagged once by the FAA seven years ago? As per the initial report of the AAIB, all one has as an indication so far is from the cockpit voice recording. One of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he “cutoff". The other pilot responded that he did not do so. There is no visual recording of what had transpired.

A visual recording would have shown whose hand was on the cut-off switch, or did it happen on its own. But it may remain a mystery now, unless the final investigation report expected after some months reveals the same. The Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of just one second, the report says.

The FAA had issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) in 2018 regarding the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch-locking feature. This was issued based on reports from operators of Model 737 airplanes that the fuel control switches were installed with the locking feature disengaged. Air India said the suggested inspections were not carried out as the SAIB was advisory and not mandatory.

The NTSB has recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration require new and in-service commercial jets be equipped with a “crash-protected cockpit image recording system". This would be an enhancement from the flight-data and cockpit-voice recorders. Will the AI-171 mystery be the cue for it?

Aman Sharma

Aman Sharma, Executive Editor - National Affairs at CNN-News18, and Bureau Chief at News18 in Delhi, has over two decades of experience in covering the wide spectrum of politics and the Prime Minister’s Office....Read More

Aman Sharma, Executive Editor - National Affairs at CNN-News18, and Bureau Chief at News18 in Delhi, has over two decades of experience in covering the wide spectrum of politics and the Prime Minister’s Office....

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