12-07-2025
How Air India's Dreamliner flight ended in disaster: A second-by-second timeline
A preliminary report into the crash of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people last month reveals that both of the aircraft's engines were starved of fuel almost simultaneously, just moments after takeoff. The findings, released Saturday by Indian aviation authorities, provide the most detailed account of the incident on June 12.
Below is a second-by-second reconstruction of events leading up to the crash, based on the report:
11:17 am: Air India Dreamliner VT-ANB lands in Ahmedabad from New Delhi as flight AI423.
1:18:38 pm: The aircraft is observed departing from Bay 34 at the airport.
1:25:15 pm: The crew requests taxi clearance, which is granted by air traffic control. The aircraft begins taxiing toward Runway 23 via Taxiway R4, backtracks, and lines up for departure.
1:32:03 pm: The flight is transferred from ground control to tower control.
1:37:33 pm: Takeoff clearance is issued.
1:37:37 pm: The aircraft begins its takeoff roll.
1:38:39 pm: The aircraft lifts off. Investigators note that the air/ground sensors transition to air mode, consistent with liftoff.
1:38:42 pm: The aircraft reaches a maximum airspeed of 180 knots. Immediately after, both Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transition from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' positions, one after the other with a one-second gap. 'The Engine N1 and N2 began to decrease from their take-off values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off.'
One of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so.
Airport CCTV footage shows the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deploying during the initial climb, shortly after liftoff. 'The aircraft started to lose altitude before crossing the airport perimeter wall,' the investigation noted.
1:38:47 pm: Both engines' values drop below minimum idle speed. The RAT's hydraulic pump begins supplying hydraulic power.
1:38:52 pm: Engine 1's fuel cutoff switch is moved back from 'CUTOFF' to 'RUN.'
1:38:56 pm: Engine 2's fuel cutoff switch is similarly reset to 'RUN.'
The probe report reads:
1:39:05 pm: One of the pilots issues a distress call: 'MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY.'
1:39:11 pm: Data recording from the aircraft stops.
1:44:44 pm: Crash fire tenders leave the airport premises for rescue and firefighting efforts.
