AI 171 Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Aviation investigators probing the tragic crash of Air India flight AI171 may need to turn their attention to the aircraft’s stabilizer system, according to a veteran pilot and aviation consultant. Captain Ehsan Khalid, speaking to PTI, suggested that a possible fault in the stabilizer could have contributed to the June 12 accident in Ahmedabad that claimed 260 lives — 241 on board and 19 on the ground.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner had arrived from Delhi and was set to fly onward to London Gatwick when it crashed shortly after takeoff. A preliminary report released on July 12 confirmed that the crew had reported a stabilizer issue upon landing in Ahmedabad. Though engineers fixed the fault before departure, Khalid believes investigators should thoroughly examine the flight data recorder for stabilizer input data.
“The stabilizer plays a crucial role in controlling the pitch of the aircraft,” said Khalid. “If a fault arises during takeoff roll, the pilot flying must quickly switch off the stabilizer control — a memorized task requiring one hand off the controls.”
However, Khalid raised concerns about the design of the cockpit layout. The stabilizer control switches are located near the fuel cut-off switches, which have become central to speculation about what triggered the fatal crash. Khalid suggested that in the heat of the moment, the first officer may have mistakenly shut off fuel to both engines while attempting to disable the stabilizer — an error potentially made more likely by the similar positioning of both switches.
“I have a problem with the Boeing philosophy,” he added. “It’s the pilot flying who has to turn off the stabilizer, not the pilot monitoring. During takeoff, the flying pilot is focused entirely on maintaining climb and cannot afford any distraction.”
The Air India crash investigation continues, with stabilizer integrity and cockpit ergonomics now under renewed scrutiny.