The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) on June 19 in New Delhi challenged the government’s interim findings on the Air India Flight AI 171 crash, saying new simulator data point to a catastrophic electrical failure — not a coordinated pilot suicide — as the likely cause of the Boeing aircraft’s fatal descent seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025.
FIP President Captain C.S. Randhawa told reporters the federation’s tests, run under the flight’s exact weight, balance and weather conditions, contradict the official timeline contained in the interim report, which concluded the crew manually cut fuel to the engines. Government investigators say that a manual shutdown led the aircraft’s ram air turbine — a backup power system that deploys automatically during total power loss — to deploy four seconds later.
Randhawa said the FIP’s simulator runs show a manual fuel cut-off would take about 18 seconds to cause the ram air turbine to deploy, making the official four‑second interval “physically and technically impossible” under a manual shutdown scenario. He argued the turbine’s near‑instant deployment is more consistent with a sudden, system‑wide electrical failure that crippled the aircraft before the engines stopped.
The federation says that such a systemic electrical glitch could have tripped the engine switches and precipitated the crash. FIP also noted that the lone surviving passenger described cabin lights flickering and dimming immediately before the aircraft began its terminal descent — an observation the pilots’ group says aligns with an abrupt loss of electrical power.
FIP further alleged the aircraft had a documented history of unresolved electrical problems before the fatal flight and accused investigators of sidelining India’s leading Boeing 787 expert, Captain R.S. Sandhu, from investigative testing. Randhawa said, “They are ignoring the input of our most experienced pilot.” He accused authorities of ignoring technical evidence and excluding experts to protect a predetermined conclusion.
The pilots’ federation confirmed it has formally submitted its simulator data to Boeing and to government aviation authorities. FIP is demanding a halt to publication of the final accident report until the mathematical and technical discrepancies around the turbine deployment are fully investigated and Captain Sandhu is reinstated to the investigation team.
IANS
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/06/19/pilots-body-claims-electric-failure-led-to-air-india-boeing-crash-in-ahmedabad/
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Publish Date: 2026-06-19 16:49:00
