FIP Seeks Fresh Boeing 787 Tests, Raises Questions Over AI-171 Crash Timeline

Ahmedabad/New Delhi, June 2026 : The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has called for a fresh and comprehensive investigation into the crash of Air India Flight AI-171, urging the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to conduct new Boeing 787 simulator tests and re-examine critical evidence related to the deployment of the aircraft’s Ram Air Turbine (RAT).

In a letter addressed to the Director General of the AAIB, FIP President Captain C.S. Randhawa argued that existing simulator results appear inconsistent with key timings outlined in the bureau’s preliminary report on the accident. The pilots’ body contended that these discrepancies warrant further scrutiny as investigators continue to determine the cause of one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters.

The crash involved Air India’s Boeing 787-8 aircraft operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on June 12 last year. The tragedy claimed 241 of the 242 lives on board, in addition to 19 fatalities on the ground.

According to the FIP, the request for a renewed examination follows a submission received from advocate D. Michael Andrews of US law firm Beasley Allen, which represents several passengers’ families affected by the crash.

At the centre of the concerns is the timeline surrounding the deployment of the Ram Air Turbine—a backup emergency system that provides power to critical aircraft functions during system failures.

The AAIB’s preliminary report reportedly stated that fuel system interruption occurred at 08:08:42 UTC, with hydraulic power from the RAT becoming available approximately four to five seconds later.

However, the FIP cited simulator testing that allegedly produced different results. According to the submission referenced in the letter, RAT-generated power became available only about 18 seconds after fuel interruption, significantly later than the timeline mentioned in the preliminary report.

The pilots’ body argued that if the simulator findings accurately reflect aircraft performance, it could suggest that the RAT had already deployed before any fuel interruption took place. Such a scenario, FIP said, may indicate that the RAT deployment was linked to earlier electrical or system faults rather than fuel-control changes.

“The videos and preliminary data analysis appear to contradict key points in the timeline of RAT deployment and power generation contained in the preliminary report,” the letter stated.

FIP also referred to images included in the AAIB report and security-camera footage from Ahmedabad Airport, which it claims may show the RAT already deployed even before the aircraft rotated for take-off.

According to the organisation, these observations could point to electrical system anomalies preceding the fuel interruption, raising questions about the sequence of events leading to the crash.

The letter highlighted additional factors that investigators should examine, including survivor accounts describing a loud bang and dimming cabin lights before the accident.

FIP also drew attention to ACARS maintenance messages transmitted between 07:53 UTC and 08:08 UTC, nearly 14 minutes before the take-off roll began. These messages reportedly referenced multiple systems, including flight controls, hydraulics, processing modules, and electronic flight bag equipment.

The pilots’ body requested that Air India Engineering and Boeing decode these messages to determine whether they indicate pre-existing technical issues.

Additionally, FIP sought access to Ahmedabad Airport security-camera footage for independent analysis to establish the precise timing of RAT deployment.

The organisation further requested that any future Boeing 787 simulator tests be conducted in the presence of an observer nominated by FIP to independently verify the relationship between RAT deployment, hydraulic power generation, and fuel-control switch movement.

FIP also questioned why Air India’s Flight Operations and Flight Safety departments had not highlighted what it described as discrepancies involving RAT timings and maintenance data despite having access to Boeing 787 simulators and ACARS information.

The letter referred to earlier communications sent by FIP to investigators in March, seeking simulator correlation with RAT imagery and flight data recorder timelines.

The AAIB has maintained that the investigation remains ongoing and that no final conclusions have been reached. Authorities have stated that analysis of flight data, maintenance records, operational information and engine examinations is continuing.

With several technical questions still unresolved, the latest intervention by the pilots’ body adds a new dimension to the inquiry into a disaster that continues to raise difficult questions about aircraft systems, operational factors and aviation safety.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)