Air India AI 171 Crash: Sabotage Not Ruled Out in Tragic Incident That Claimed 274 Lives

India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is exploring all possible causes—including sabotage—in the wake of the deadly Air India AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad last month that claimed 274 lives, revealed Minister of State (MoS) for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol on Saturday (Jun 29). Speaking to NDTV, the minister also insisted that the black boxes recovered from the crashed aircraft won't be sent abroad for assessment. He said that the AAIB was in the throes of a full investigation into the tragic plane crash and that all angles were being probed. Describing the incident as 'unprecedented', he assured that investigators were leaving no stone unturned.

Was it sabotage?

As of now, it is not clear what caused the plane to crash soon after takeoff. Mohol said that the plane crash was an 'unfortunate incident' and that the 'AAIB has begun a full investigation into it... It is being probed from all angles, including any possible sabotage. The CCTV footages are being reviewed and all angles are being assessed... several agencies are working on it.'

How did the AI 171 crash?

The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which had 242 passengers and crew, crashed just seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12. 241 of the 242 on board were killed, and only one person survived. An additional 33 people were killed as the plane crashed into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College.

As per reports, the aircraft lost altitude almost immediately after takeoff and crashed into residential quarters of BJ Medical College, igniting a massive fire. Nine students and their relatives on the ground were also killed. Before impact, the pilot had radioed a 'Mayday' distress call, signalling total engine failure. Mohol acknowledged this, noting that both engines failing simultaneously was 'highly unusual'.

'Once the (probe) report comes, we will be able to ascertain if it was an engine problem or fuel supply issue or why both the engines had stopped functioning. There is a CVR (cockpit voice recorder) in the black box which has stored the conversation between the two pilots. It is too early to say anything but whatever it is, it will come out. The report will come in three months,' he said.

Black Box to stay in India