Did an electrical disturbance trigger Air India Dreamliner crash?

In its preliminary report, the AAIB said the fuel supply to both engines of the plane was cut off within a gap of one second, causing confusion in the cockpit soon after take-off.

Pilots' grouping FIP has said that aircraft accident probe agency AAIB should examine whether "pre-lift off electrical disturbance" could have led to the cutting off of the fuel switches, resulting in the crash of Air India's Dreamliner plane in June last year that killed 260 people.

The Boeing 787-8 aircraft en route to London Gatwick crashed soon after take-off from Ahmedabad airport on June 12, 2025.

In its preliminary report on the crash that was released on July 12 last year, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said the fuel supply to both engines of the plane was cut off within a gap of one second, causing confusion in the cockpit soon after take-off.

"In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so," it had said.

Concerns over electrical systems

While the AAIB's final report is yet to come, concerns have been raised in certain quarters about electrical systems as well as about the functioning of the fuel control switch in the aircraft.

Against the backdrop, the FIP has written a letter to the civil aviation ministry about the possibility of pre-lift off electrical disturbance in the aircraft.

"Based on lithium-ion battery failures, relay behaviour under abnormal voltage, and Boeing 787 electrical design, a prelift-off electrical disturbance could have caused unintended relay operation and dual engine fuel cut-off without pilot input," FIP said in a letter to the civil aviation ministry on May 1.

Call for further investigation

In its submissions citing certain other investigation reports and attaching annexures, FIP said the electrical disturbance may be treated as a testable hypothesis and examined through detailed electrical analysis by IIT Bombay, Aeronautical Development Agency, or Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

"Technical causes cannot be ruled out till this analysis is made.

"Also, in our last letters and emails, we had requested the verification of the timings as given in the preliminary report of AAIB by carrying out a simulator session on B787," FIP said.

SC observation

The Supreme Court, in September last year, termed as "unfortunate and irresponsible" the selective publication of a preliminary report on the June 12 Air India crash, which outlined lapses on the part of pilots and paved the way for a "media narrative".

In August last year, Pushkaraj Sabharwal, father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was one of the pilots of the ill-fated Air India Dreamliner, demanded a 'formal investigation' by the central government.