A faulty locking mechanism in the captain’s seat caused the Air India Boeing 787 crash that killed 270 people, a preliminary investigation has revealed.
The report, released Wednesday, indicates that the pilot’s seat unexpectedly slid backward during takeoff on June 12, causing the captain to unintentionally pull the throttle levers to idle.
This sudden power loss resulted in a stall just seconds after liftoff, sending the plane crashing into a nearby residential building in Ahmedabad.
Investigators noted that the co-pilot’s efforts to recover the aircraft were hindered by the captain’s reclined position.
Cockpit data confirmed the seat shift occurred 12 seconds into takeoff, followed by the aircraft stalling at just 214 feet.
The probe also found missing safety features in the Boeing 787’s throttle system, prompting urgent directives from U.S. and European regulators for inspections of similar pilot seats.
Air India has grounded 12 aircraft pending review, and Boeing has pledged a redesign of the seat mechanism by 2026. Only one person, a British national, survived the crash.
The final report is expected in July.
