On a quiet Thursday afternoon in June, Air India flight AI171 departed from Ahmedabad, bound for London Gatwick. The Boeing 787-8 lifted off the runway at 1:38 PM, climbing into clear skies.

By 1:39 PM, it had crashed into a medical college hostel less than a mile from the airport.

Now, nearly a month later, India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released its preliminary findings — offering the first glimpse into what caused the deadly crash that killed 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 civilians on the ground.

At the heart of the incident lies a chilling detail: both engines were shut down mid-air due to an apparent accidental movement of the fuel control switches in the cockpit.

According to data from the aircraft’s flight recorders, everything looked routine during takeoff. The plane reached its decision speed (V1) at 153 knots. Just six seconds later, it lifted off the ground.

And then — disaster.

Within three seconds of liftoff, both fuel cutoff switches moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF”, effectively cutting off fuel supply to both engines. Without power, the engines began winding down. The aircraft never had a chance to climb.

In the cockpit, one pilot was heard asking the other, “Why did you cutoff?” The other responded, “I didn’t do it.”

Investigators believe that one of the pilots may have inadvertently moved the fuel control switches, which are physically close to other controls used during takeoff.

While the report does not assign blame, it suggests cockpit ergonomics, human factors, and possibly a breakdown in standard operating procedures may have contributed.

In fact, a US safety bulletin issued in 2018 had raised concerns about the very same fuel control switches, warning that on some Boeing models, the locking feature that prevents accidental movement was not properly engaged. That warning, however, was not mandatory, and Air India did not carry out the recommended inspections on this aircraft.

After the fuel cutoff, the aircraft tried to recover. Both engines were briefly restarted — the onboard systems automatically triggered a restart sequence. One engine began to respond. The other did not.

But it was too late.

The plane, now losing altitude rapidly, clipped trees, hit a chimney, and slammed into the BJ Medical College hostel, slicing through buildings and scattering debris over a 1,000-foot stretch.

Fire broke out. The crash killed 19 people on the ground, including medical students. The aircraft was completely destroyed.

While this is a preliminary report, it already raises important questions:

The AAIB has involved international agencies including the NTSB (USA), Boeing, and GE (the engine maker) in its probe. Flight data is still being analysed, and the final report may include recommendations for cockpit redesigns or new training protocols.

The AAIB has not made any safety recommendations yet. But this early report is a sobering reminder of how complex — and fragile — aviation safety is.

Modern aircraft are marvels of engineering. Yet in the heat of takeoff, a single switch, moved by mistake, can set off a chain of events that no system can fully undo.

More answers will come in the months ahead. For now, this tragedy leaves a question hovering in the air: how do you stop the next one before it begins?