The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has claimed that a pre-lift-off electrical disturbance, rooted in lithium-ion battery behaviour, relay response under abnormal voltage, and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner electrical architecture, could have triggered an unintended dual engine fuel cut-off in the June 2025 Air India crash, without any pilot input, and urged an independent technical probe into the hypothesis.
In a detailed technical note submitted to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the pilots’ body said: “Based on lithium-ion battery failures, relay behaviour under abnormal voltage, and Boeing 787 electrical design, a pre-lift-off electrical disturbance could have caused unintended relay operation and dual engine fuel cut-off without pilot input.”
The submission directly challenges early narratives that hinted at pilot action, arguing instead that “all credible technical causes be ruled out first” in line with ICAO norms.
The FIP’s note reconstructed a chain of electrical events, beginning with a possible lithium-ion battery short circuit, a failure mode previously documented in global investigations, leading to abnormal current flow and voltage fluctuations in the aircraft’s DC electrical system. It pointed to past findings by the National Transportation Safety Board and Japan’s transport safety authorities, which recorded electrical arcing, high current flow and thermal damage in Boeing 787 battery incidents.
According to the FIP, such a disturbance could alter the voltage across relay coils. The aircraft uses dual-coil latching relays to control fuel shutoff valves, and under abnormal or reversed voltage, these relays may switch states. Citing aerospace relay manufacturer data, the note states that reverse voltage “may transfer” the relay position, potentially shutting fuel supply.
04/05/2026 Shekhar Singh/Tribune
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