Cockpit audio suggests pilot cut fuel in AI‑171 crash, US report claims

A recent US media report has drawn attention to cockpit voice recordings from the Air India Flight AI 171 crash near Ahmedabad on June 12, suggesting the engines may have been shut off manually.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, First Officer Clive Kunder is heard asking, “Why did you cut off?” moments after both engines were switched to fuel cutoff. The captain reportedly replied, “I didn’t do so.”

This exchange has not been referenced in the preliminary findings released by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

According to the report, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal is now under scrutiny. US aviation investigators suggest the act of flipping the fuel switches—designed to be secured—appears manual and deliberate. They’ve flagged the possibility of criminal investigation.

The AAIB's preliminary report had already noted that both switches were turned off and then back to "run" within ten seconds. But, it left open who moved them and why.

With no mechanical or maintenance issues found, the theory of pure technical failure has been dismissed by regulators, pushing focus towards human factors.

Unions and pilots' associations have criticized premature speculation. The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) called it reckless to assign blame before final investigations conclude, while Air India CEO Campbell Wilson reminded internal teams to avoid rumors and emphasized professional integrity.

Aviation experts are now debating whether cockpit video recorders—beyond traditional black boxes—could prevent such ambiguity in future. The US and international authorities are reviewing whether to mandate visual data for improved clarity.

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are supporting the probe, which remains open. Authorities have ordered inspections of similar Boeing aircraft and its fuel-control systems, with regulatory updates anticipated by late July.