By Toba Owojaiye
The catastrophic crash of Air India Flight 171, which claimed the lives of 270 people on June 12, was caused by a faulty locking mechanism in the pilot’s seat, a preliminary investigation has revealed. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plunged into a residential building shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The sole survivor, a British national, remains hospitalized in stable condition.
According to a joint investigative team comprising India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and international aviation experts, the captain’s seat unexpectedly slid backward during the aircraft’s ascent, causing the pilot to inadvertently pull the throttle levers to idle. This action led to a sudden loss of engine thrust just 15 seconds into the flight.
Truth Live News gathered that, at an altitude of only 214 feet, the aircraft stalled and descended rapidly, crashing into a block of apartments housing medical workers. Flight data and cockpit voice recorders confirm the sequence: at 12 seconds after takeoff, the seat slid. Three seconds later, the co-pilot shouted, “We’re losing thrust!” By 26 seconds, the aircraft was in an unrecoverable stall.
The investigation highlights a critical design flaw in the Boeing 787’s throttle system, namely, the absence of reverse-motion protection and weight-based lockouts. These systems, experts say, could have prevented such unintended throttle retraction due to seat movement.
In response, the FAA and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have issued urgent directives mandating inspections of all Boeing 787 pilot seat mechanisms. Globally, hundreds of Dreamliners are being reviewed.
India’s DGCA has already inspected eight of 34 GEnx-engine-equipped Dreamliners operating in India. Air India has grounded 12 aircraft with similar maintenance histories to Flight 171, leading to the temporary rescheduling of several long-haul routes.
Boeing, in a statement, acknowledged the findings and announced plans to redesign the seat locking mechanism by 2026. “We remain committed to the safety of the flying public and will cooperate fully with authorities,” the company stated.
While the seat malfunction is the primary cause, investigators are also reviewing ancillary systems, including the aircraft’s flaps, landing gear retraction sequence, and the possible deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT). A final report is expected in July.
Aviation experts have called the crash one of the worst in recent Indian aviation history—surpassing the 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision—and raised questions about Boeing’s long-term quality control, as the 787 has previously faced scrutiny over battery fires (2013) and fuselage issues (2019).
The sole survivor, 32-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British-Indian national, was en route to attend his brother’s funeral. He remains in intensive care. DNA testing continues to identify some of the victims, with support centers set up across Ahmedabad and New Delhi for grieving families.
Authorities say many of the victims were healthcare workers and residents of the apartment block where the plane crashed. The federal government has pledged compensation under the Montreal Convention, and Air India says insurance settlements are underway.
The Flight 171 disaster has ignited renewed calls for systemic reform in aviation safety protocols. Regulators are urging all global carriers to revisit emergency procedure drills, seat mechanism inspections, and flight deck ergonomic design.
“This was a preventable tragedy,” said Captain Arvind Singh, former head of India’s aviation authority. “No seat should be able to compromise thrust at takeoff.”
As the world waits for the final report, one truth stands clear: the skies may never be seen the same way again until every aircraft guarantees that something as basic as a pilot’s seat won’t bring down an entire plane.