Anatomy of the Air India Flight AI-171 (AI-121) Boeing 787 Crash: Insights from Black Box Data, Systems Analysis, and Regulatory Implications

Commercial aviation safety continues to face complex challenges, especially when critical in-flight emergencies arise during takeoff—an especially vulnerable flight phase. This research investigates the recent crash of Air India Flight AI-171 (callsign AI-121), a Boeing 787-8 aircraft that tragically failed shortly after departure from Ahmedabad International Airport on June 12, 2025. A comprehensive analysis is conducted using official data from Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR), preliminary black box telemetry, and structural forensic insights sourced from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Key focus areas include early Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployment (typically indicative of dual engine or systems failure), engine thrust loss, and human-machine interactions in the seconds preceding impact. Flight data revealed abnormal descent beginning at an altitude of ~650 feet, supported by onboard alerts and Mayday call timelines. Technical inspection of the GE GEnx engine pair and the 787’s electrical systems suggest simultaneous power and thrust irregularities, though final attribution awaits full diagnostic trace interpretation. Regulatory context, including DGCA’s oversight capabilities and the operational condition of the 787 fleet, is critically examined. Crash site analysis was augmented with high-resolution drone imaging, structural deformation modelling, and casualty data, further informing hypotheses of asymmetric engine behaviour and aerodynamic stall risk. Historical case analogs (e.g., Air France 447, Air India Express 812) are used for triangulated causation comparison. From collected evidence, preliminary insights affirm a rapid-sequence systems failure chain, likely rooted in either fuel-flow anomalies, sensor misreads, or electrical control module interference. Investigations are still ongoing, but recommendations based on early findings include revising takeoff protocols under dual-engine failure conditions, upgrading redundancy systems like the RAT, and enhancing crew training for compressed-decision environments. This research contributes substantially to airline safety policy reform and the aviation engineering community by emphasizing the need for advanced diagnostics, oversight integrity, and rapid-response protocols.