AVGEEK
AI171’s preliminary report: fuel switches, evidence and unanswered questions
Sanjay Lazar, Devesh Agarwal and Captain Kishore Chinta examine flight-data interpretations, fuel-control switch transitions, cockpit procedures and gaps in the preliminary report, while questioning premature conclusions about the accident.
The conversation
In this special edition of The Indian AvGeek, we have three of India’s leading aviation experts—Sanjay Lazar, Devesh Agarwal, and Captain Kishore Chinta—to dissect the preliminary AI171 crash report. Through a blend of technical insight and human-factors analysis, they chart the accident timeline, examine cockpit ergonomics, and question the selective data release by AAIB.
From the fuel control switch movements in the EAFR data to the haunting cockpit voice exchanges about who “cut off” the engines, our panel explores:
- Initial reactions to the preliminary report - How EAFR switch positions frame the crash sequence - Pilot decision-making and stress at low altitude - Possible motives behind withholding CVR and DFDR transcripts - Technical and aerodynamic reasons for asymmetric engine relight - Implications for cockpit switch-locking designs and walk-around call-outs - Relevance of FAA’s 2018 SAIB NM-18-33 on fuel-switch locks - The curious omission of GE’s GEnx-1B SB 73-0097 R01 from the report - Distinctions between mandatory and advisory safety bulletins - Priorities after RAT deployment: MAYDAY, systems configuration, or flying the profile - Intuitiveness of the 787’s fuel-control layout and best practices to prevent inadvertent cuts - Mechanics of international cooperation among AAIB, NTSB, DGCA, and others - Potential global ripple effects on Boeing 787 operations - Critical evidence and analysis are still needed for a conclusive investigation - How the scope and timeline of the final report will differ from preliminary findings
Captain Kishore Chinta - @Capt_CK Sanjay Lazar - @SJLazars Devesh Agarwal - @BLRaviation Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra
Guests
Sanjay Lazar
Sanjay Lazar brings a career spanning four decades in aviation, much of it at Air India. His conversations with Vishal Mehra cover airline integration, safety oversight and the industry's institutional history. He also joins the panel examining the preliminary AI171 accident report. These appearances place operational questions alongside the organisational context in which airlines work.
Devesh Agarwal
Devesh Agarwal is the founder of Bangalore Aviation. His appearances range from aircraft maintenance and airline management to a two-part assessment of Indian aviation in 2024. He also contributes to the discussion of the preliminary AI171 accident report. Across the archive, his conversations connect infrastructure, regulation and the operating realities of Indian airlines.
Captain Kishore Chinta
Captain Kishore Chinta brings experience in the Indian Air Force and civil aviation. His first conversation with Vishal Mehra examines the opportunities and constraints facing general aviation in India. He later joins a panel discussing the preliminary AI171 accident report. His appearances give flight operations and the pilot's perspective a place in the wider industry discussion.