Did a Hidden Stabilizer Flaw Doom Air India Flight 171? Shocking New Theory Emerges!

A chilling new theory has surfaced in the investigation of the tragic Air India Flight 171 crash, which claimed 260 lives on June 12. Veteran pilot and aviation consultant Captain Ehsan Khalid suggests a potential fault in the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner’s stabilizer may have set off a catastrophic chain of events, possibly compounded by an unintended pilot error.

The London-bound flight crashed just 32 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad, slamming into a medical college hostel. A preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) revealed that the fuel supply to both engines was cut off within a second of each other, triggering confusion in the cockpit. Cockpit audio captured one pilot asking, “Why did you cut off?” with the other replying, “I didn’t.” The report has sparked heated speculation about pilot error, but Khalid points to a different culprit: a reported stabilizer issue.

Before the flight, the crew noted a stabilizer fault upon landing in Ahmedabad from Delhi, which engineers claimed to have fixed. The stabilizer, critical for controlling the aircraft’s pitch, could have malfunctioned during takeoff, Khalid told PTI. He explained that protocol requires the pilot flying to switch off the stabilizer controls—located dangerously close to the fuel control switches. “The first officer, focused on the runway, might have mistakenly hit the fuel switches instead,” Khalid said, noting the tactile difference between the switches but highlighting the high-pressure environment of takeoff.

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Khalid, a seasoned Boeing and Airbus pilot, criticized Boeing’s design, arguing that requiring the pilot flying to handle stabilizer issues mid-takeoff is flawed. “The other pilot should manage this to avoid distraction,” he said. He also raised the possibility of an electrical glitch causing the fuel switches to cut off without physical movement, a nuance the AAIB carefully avoided in its report. “They didn’t say the switches were moved—that’s deliberate,” Khalid noted, urging the release of the full cockpit voice recording to curb speculation.

The AAIB emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and cautioned against premature conclusions. Pilot associations, including the Indian Commercial Pilots Association, have slammed narratives suggesting deliberate pilot actions, calling them “reckless and unfounded.” As the probe deepens, questions linger: was it a mechanical flaw, a design oversight, or a tragic human error? The aviation world awaits answers.

Also Read: Fuel To Both Engines Cutoff in Air India Crash! Preliminary Report Findings Below