Air India Flight AI171 crashed just 30 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people. Bound for London Gatwick, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner had 242 people onboard, including Indian, British, Canadian, and Portuguese nationals. Only one person, 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, survived.

India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its preliminary findings, revealing that both engines were starved of fuel mid-air. Black box data showed the fuel control switches were flipped from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” just one second apart. A cockpit recording captured one pilot asking, “Why did you cutoff?” The other responded, “I did not do so.”

Investigators struggled to retrieve data due to damaged black boxes. Aviation expert Captain Steeeve explained, “When the recorder is damaged, it’s not as simple as plugging in a cord. You’ve got to physically recover and interpret the box, which takes time.”

Although this report offers a key clue, officials stress it’s just the beginning. The crash occurred so quickly that interpreting the timeline is complex. “It’s like a tangled ball of yarn,” said Steeeve, adding, “It may take much longer to do it properly.” Families now await more answers as the investigation continues.