A preliminary report from India's Air Accident Investigation Bureau reveals that fuel switches were turned to "cutoff" three seconds after Air India Flight 171's takeoff, leading to the crash that killed 260 people. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner's engines subsequently lost thrust and altitude. The report notes cockpit voice recordings indicating confusion among pilots regarding who cut the fuel, while ruling out initial mechanical failure or bird strike as causes. The investigation focuses on pilot actions.

Prepared by Jonathan Pierce and reviewed by editorial team.