On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, resulting in the tragic loss of 241 of the 242 passengers and crew on board, along with 19 fatalities on the ground. A preliminary investigation has identified a critical malfunction in the captain’s seat as the root cause of this catastrophic event, marking the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 since its introduction in 2011.

Incident Overview

Flight 171, bound for London Gatwick, took off at 13:39 IST (08:09 UTC) under clear weather conditions. The aircraft, piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder, climbed to approximately 625 feet before losing lift and crashing into the B.J. Medical College campus, just 1.5 kilometers from the runway. The sole survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, seated in 11A near an emergency exit, escaped through a ruptured section of the fuselage.

Root Cause: Captain’s Seat Malfunction

According to a preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the crash was triggered by an unintended thrust reduction caused by the captain’s seat sliding backward during takeoff rotation. The seat’s aft lock mechanism failed, causing abrupt rearward movement. This sudden shift led to the captain inadvertently pulling the thrust levers to idle, resulting in a critical loss of engine power.

Key Findings from the Investigation

Mechanical Failure: Wreckage inspection revealed fractured seat track locking pins (PN: BACB30LN5S02) on the captain’s seat. Maintenance logs indicated the seat was serviced 11 days prior to the crash for “stiff adjustment,” but no post-repair function test was documented.

Flight Deck Timeline:

+0:12 sec: Rotation begins; captain’s seat slips aft abruptly.

+0:15 sec: Thrust levers pulled to idle. First Officer: “Thrust dropping!”

+0:18 sec: Captain: “My seat!” Struggle heard on cockpit voice recorder.

+0:26 sec: First Officer attempts to restore full thrust; aircraft stalls at 214 feet.

+0:38 sec: Impact with the ground.

Contributing Factors:

High Temperature: The ambient temperature of 43°C reduced engine performance, leaving no margin for error.

Crew Coordination: No call for “STAB TRIM” or “GO-AROUND” was made during the critical 26-second window, indicating a possible breakdown in crew resource management.

Design Vulnerability: The Boeing 787’s thrust levers lack safeguards such as “weight-lock” or “reverse torque” to prevent accidental retraction.

Debunking Misinformation

A viral report falsely attributed to the AAIB claimed a seat malfunction caused the tragedy, conflating the incident with a non-fatal LATAM Airlines event in March 2024. This hoax suggested the captain’s seat movement caused the pilot to push the control column, but the official AAIB findings clarified that the malfunction led to unintended thrust lever movement, not control column interference.

Investigation and Response

The AAIB, supported by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch, is analyzing the flight’s black boxes—cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR)—to further understand the sequence of events. Boeing and GE Aerospace have dispatched teams to assist, and Air India has grounded its Boeing 787 fleet for enhanced inspections, as mandated by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Aviation experts emphasize that while the seat malfunction was the primary trigger, systemic issues, including inadequate maintenance documentation and design vulnerabilities, contributed to the disaster. The Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association has called for transparency in the investigation, rejecting speculative claims of pilot error or malicious intent.

Implications for Aviation Safety

The crash has raised questions about the maintenance and design of critical cockpit components. The FAA’s 2018 Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) highlighted issues with fuel control switches in Boeing aircraft, but similar scrutiny is now being applied to seat mechanisms. The absence of a post-repair function test for the captain’s seat underscores the need for stricter maintenance protocols.

Boeing faces renewed pressure following this tragedy, with its stock futures dropping nearly 9% after the crash. The company has pledged full cooperation with the investigation, while Air India has activated support teams for victims’ families and established an emergency center for ongoing assistance.

Conclusion

The tragic crash of Air India Flight 171 was a result of a rare and catastrophic failure of the captain’s seat, compounded by environmental and procedural factors. As the investigation continues, the aviation industry is urged to address vulnerabilities in cockpit design and maintenance practices to prevent future tragedies. The loss of 260 lives serves as a somber reminder of the critical importance of rigorous safety standards in aviation.