Black Box, White Lies: The AI-171 Investigation, Air India Crash

When planes crash, governments and corporations scramble to control the narrative. But the black box, despite its name, is a bright orange recorder that rarely lies. It houses the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR), capturing the plane's last moments in both data and sound. These two devices don't just reveal what happened. Sometimes, they reveal what someone wanted hidden.

Air India Air-crash

On June 12, 2025, Flight AI-171 departed Ahmedabad for London. Just 32 seconds after takeoff, both engines shut down. According to the preliminary report, allegedly based on black box data, the plane's fuel control switches were manually flipped to "cutoff," one after the other, within a second. The engines died almost instantly. The CVR recorded a voice saying, "Why did you cut off?" followed by another: "I didn't do it." A few seconds later, external video confirmed the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deploying—a backup generator that activates only when a plane has no power. No distress call was issued in time. One engine briefly restarted, but it was too late. The plane crashed into a nearby hostel, killing all 260 people onboard.

According to Boeing's own design, the fuel switches are protected by spring-loaded guards and are not easily triggered by mistake. They require deliberate, physical movement. With no evidence of a mechanical failure, bird strike, or fuel issue, investigators are left with few possibilities. The CVR doesn't suggest sabotage, suicide, or even awareness. It suggests confusion. Which makes it all the more suspicious that the first reports pointing toward pilot error didn't come from Indian investigators but from leaks to U.S. media.

Air India expressed sorrow and pledged cooperation, but made it clear that determining intent behind the fuel cutoff is "not the airline's responsibility." They inspected their fleet, found no mechanical issues, and emphasized that maintenance logs were clean. Beyond that, the airline remained quiet, distancing itself from blame even as public suspicion tilted toward the cockpit.

But this isn't Boeing's first crisis. After the Lion Air and Ethiopian 737 MAX crashes, Boeing initially blamed "poorly trained foreign pilots." Only after whistleblowers and internal documents emerged did the world learn the real cause: a hidden flight system (MCAS) that Boeing failed to disclose. Whistleblowers like John Barnett, who warned about safety issues on the 787—the same aircraft used in AI-171—were ignored or worse. Barnett was found dead in a hotel parking lot in 2024, just before he was set to testify in court. His family says Boeing broke him.

Now with AI-171, the same playbook is unfolding: early leaks blaming pilots, official silence from Boeing, and no accountability for design vulnerabilities long known to regulators. The FAA had issued an advisory in 2018 about problems with fuel switch locking mechanisms. There's no record that those checks were performed on this aircraft. And still, the manufacturer walks away untouched.

Air India Aircrash

The AAIB's preliminary report, released on July 12, confirms both switches were flipped to "cutoff," but assigns no blame. It rules out mechanical failure and references the old FAA warning. No safety recommendations have been issued to Boeing or GE. The agency simply stated that the investigation is ongoing and the final report is expected within 12 months.

Meanwhile, the U.S. NTSB and FAA, both tied to Boeing, had early access to the black box data. Indian regulators, by contrast, have kept a measured distance, repeating that no conclusions have been reached. The result: an investigation led by India, but shaped by American leaks.

And that's the issue. The story is being formed before the facts are fully known. The pilots are being judged without answers. And those with the most to lose, the ones who built the plane, ignored warnings, and suppressed whistleblowers remain protected.

In the end, Air India (AI-171) isn't just a crash; it's a question mark hanging over an industry that's too quick to protect its giants and too slow to protect its people. The facts are murky, the narrative is already slipping out of local hands, and the dead being quietly blamed can no longer speak for themselves. Until the final report arrives, the only thing that's certain is this: two fuel switches were flipped, 260 lives were lost, and once again, those with the most power have the least to answer for.