China Eastern Airlines crash probe reveals shocking findings, renews questions over Air India 71 tragedy

Nearly a year after the devastating Air India flight 171 disaster in Ahmedabad, new insights have emerged regarding the impact of fuel switches on aircraft safety. A detailed investigation by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) into the tragic crash of a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737 reveals that the fuel supply to both engines was deliberately cut off moments before the aircraft plummeted into a hillside in Tengxian County, China. This incident, which occurred in March 2022, tragically claimed the lives of 132 individuals. The parallels between this incident and the Air India crash are striking. According to a preliminary report from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released on July 12, 2025, both engines of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner failed when fuel control switches were inexplicably switched from ‘Run’ to ‘Cutoff’ just three seconds after takeoff. This alarming transition led to the shutdown of both engines in the eleven-and-a-half-year-old aircraft. Pilot associations in India have vehemently disputed the preliminary findings, suggesting that external factors may have contributed to the crash. In a recent communication to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) raised concerns about a potential “pre-lift-off electrical disturbance.” They argued that such an anomaly, linked to lithium-ion battery issues, could have inadvertently triggered the fuel cut-off switches without any pilot intervention. Contrary to these claims, aviation experts assert that the fuel cut-off switches require human action to be toggled. A comprehensive final report from the AAIB is expected by June 12, 2026, adhering to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) guidelines that recommend final reports within a year of an incident. Meanwhile, the NTSB investigation found no technical safety issues with the China Eastern Airlines aircraft. Analysis of data from the aircraft's black boxes, conducted in the US, revealed that both engine fuel switches were simultaneously moved to the cutoff position while cruising at 29,000 feet, resulting in a decrease in engine speeds. Intriguingly, these findings surface amid a notable silence from Chinese aviation regulators. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has not issued any reports or updates regarding the incident for over two years, raising further questions about transparency in aviation safety protocols.