Air India Crash: Empennage Under Probe, Could Reveal What Went Wrong

Investigators probing the June 12 crash of Air India flight AI-171 are focusing on the aircraft's tail section, which they believe may hold critical evidence to understanding what went wrong in the brief 26 seconds the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was airborne before it crashed shortly after takeoff from Runway 23 at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

Reports have said that the tail assembly, or empennage, remained largely intact despite the devastating post-crash explosion and fuel-fed fire that consumed most of the aircraft. Notably, this section of the aircraft showed signs of a contained electrical fire, limited to specific components housed in the rear, which may offer insights into a potential power failure during the lift-off phase.

Key components from the empennage have been identified and safely secured for analysis in Ahmedabad. Investigators believe these parts may be crucial in determining whether there was a malfunction in the aircraft's electrical supply system—a potential factor behind the crash.

Meanwhile, significant attention is also being given to the two Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFRs), commonly known as black boxes. The rear EAFR, recovered from the rooftop of the BJ Medical College hostel mess building a day after the crash, sustained severe internal heat damage. According to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) preliminary report released on July 12, data extraction using conventional methods was unsuccessful due to the extent of thermal damage to its memory card.

In contrast, the forward black box retrieved from the charred fuselage on June 16 was also scorched and covered in soot but remained functional. Investigators successfully recovered approximately 49 hours of flight data from it, including six flight cycles and a two-hour cockpit audio recording encompassing the crash sequence.

In addition to the flight data recorders, investigators are also examining the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), the rudders, and other electronic components such as transducers located in the tail. The APU, which plays a key role in powering aircraft systems while on the ground and during emergencies, was recovered intact. This is particularly significant given the AI-423 flight from Delhi to Ahmedabad, which had operated immediately before AI-171, had logged a Pilot Defect Report citing a status alert related to the “Stabilizer Position Transducer”—a sensor also located in the tail section. The issue had been cleared by ground maintenance staff in Ahmedabad before the aircraft was cleared to depart.

Investigators are also drawing parallels with past incidents. In 2013, the global Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet was briefly grounded due to concerns over APU battery malfunctions. The fleet resumed operations only after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration approved a redesigned APU battery system. The aircraft involved in the AI-171 crash had been brought into service shortly after those safety modifications were approved.

With the empennage emerging as a critical focus area in the ongoing investigation, aviation safety experts say that uncovering the exact sequence of electrical events in those final moments could be key to understanding—and preventing—similar tragedies in the future.

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