"Air India window view" by Swami Stream is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
What Was the Crash?
On June 12, 2025, an Air India plane named Flight AI171, which was flying to London, crashed after [[taking off::When a plane leaves the ground]] from Ahmedabad.
This sad accident caused 260 people to lose their lives, including some people on the ground.
Now, the first [[report::A paper that tells what happened]] about the accident has come out. It tells us some early facts about what happened.
What Did the Report Find?
The report says the plane lost [[power::The energy that makes machines work]] just a few seconds after takeoff. It reached full speed in 3 seconds. Then, both engines stopped getting fuel.
This happened because two important switches called '[[fuel control switches::The special levers that turn engine fuel on or off]]' moved from “RUN” [[position::The place or setting of something]] to “CUTOFF” position.
This change stopped the fuel from going to the engines, and the engines turned off.
The report also says that after the cutoff, one pilot asked the other, “Why did he cut off?” The other said, “I did not do so.”
This means the pilots did not turn the switches off on purpose.
What Are Fuel Control Switches?
Fuel Control Switches are like on/off switches for the airplane’s engines.
“RUN” means fuel goes in, and the engine works.
“CUTOFF” means fuel stops, and the engine turns off.
These switches are made to be safe. A pilot must lift and move them carefully, somewhat like how locks in our homes work.
So it is very strange that the switches moved by themselves.
What Happened After the Engines Stopped?
When both engines turned off, a small emergency device called the '[[RAT::Short name for the plane’s emergency windmill]]' (Ram Air Turbine) came out of the airplane. It is like a small [[windmill::A machine with big blades that spin in the wind]] that spins in the air and makes emergency power for the plane.
The pilots moved the switches back to “RUN” in 10 to 14 seconds. But the plane was already flying too low and could not get back up.
The plane crashed less than 1 kilometre from the airport.
Were There Any Warnings?
In 2018, a U.S. [[safety group::People who make rules to keep us safe]] called the [[FAA::The group in the USA that watches over airplane safety]] warned [[airlines::Companies that fly planes with people]]. They said these switches could turn off by mistake because of a computer problem.
But the check was only [[advice::A helpful idea someone gives you]], not a rule, so Air India did not do it.
There are some reports that say that in 2019, a plane in Japan also had the same switch problem.
What Will Happen Next?
This report is just the start. The pilots were trained and tried their best. It will be wrong to [[blame::To say someone did something wrong]] them without knowing the whole truth.
The crash may have happened because of a computer issue, a machine problem, or both.
Experts will now look more closely to find the real reason for this crash.
Quick Revision
On June 12, 2025, an Air India plane crashed just after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.
The plane crashed because both engines stopped when fuel switches suddenly moved from ON (RUN) to OFF (CUTOFF).
The pilots did not do it on purpose and tried to fix it quickly.
A small emergency fan (RAT) gave some power, but the plane was too low to fly again.
Experts are still investigating to find the exact reason.
