Splainer FREE: Who Flipped the Switch?

Aaj ki khabar includes splainer saying goodbye to news, the preliminary report into the AI171 crash, and a new Vedanta scandal. Our fave bit: Wimbledon and Club World Cup champs get crowned.

Jul 14, 2025

An important announcement: We will publish the last news edition of splainer on August 29—the last Friday before September 1. Our weekend Advisory—with popular recommendations on books, travel, music, entertainment etc—will continue as a free zine. It will go out to all Souk and splainer subscribers along with Souk’s curated recommendations. We also plan to offer a hefty discount to our paid subscribers on the Taste book—as compensation for the inevitable disappointment. So don’t unsubscribe or you’ll miss out. If you have no clue what we’re talking about, be sure to read the Big Story today.

Hello, splainer FREE subscribers! We launched a paid version of our daily headlines in January. Our splainer LITE subscribers will get: One: Extended headlines every day (For example: deets on the controversial report on the AI crash, today). Two: A deep dive on a big story each month—so be sure to read our free Big Story on the launch of Souk and why splainer is shutting down. Three: A fab pop culture explainer that keeps you clued-in and nerdy cool (For example: this explainer on the misunderstood sexual orientation: Asexuality). All this for Rs 99 per month only! Be sure to sign up here—and gift the sub to friends & fam.

Goodbye to all that: The end of news and the birth of the new

TLDR: Splainer’s daily news edition will shut down on August 29. Our editor/founder Lakshmi Chaudhry explains why in this essay.

Written by: Lakshmi Chaudhry, Founder, Splainer Pte Ltd

Writer’s note: On August 29, we will publish the last edition of splainer’s news edition. It will also mark the culmination of my long stint in daily news—which began in 1999. But for both splainer and me, this is not an end but the beginning of a new engagement with the world—expressing the same values and mission but in fresh, exciting ways. Hence, the lead image: ‘Rooms by the sea’ by Edward Hopper suggests an open doorway—leading out to a dazzling unknown.

Splainer lite subscribers can read this paywalled Big Story—and the rest of the edition, in fact—using the gift link below. No login required.

READ FOR FREE

Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar

Decoding the controversial report on the AI crash

Quick reminder: On June 12, Air India flight 171—headed from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick airport—crashed less than 40 seconds after takeoff—into the dining hall of a medical college hostel. The death toll: 279—38 were killed at the hostel and only one passenger survived the plane crash. See the CCTV footage from the runway here. Here’s a clearer angle of the crash.

The leading theory: Experts largely focused on the ram air turbine (RAT)—which is automatically deployed in case of “an abrupt loss of electrical, hydraulic or engine power”—indicating a twin engine failure—considered a ‘rarest of rare event’. But no one has been able to figure out as to why both engines would fail at the very same time.

What happened now: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB)—an agency of the Ministry of Civil Aviation—released a preliminary investigation report. It concludes that the plane crashed because the engine fuel switches were mysteriously switched off—likely because of pilot error.

First, the ~~orange~~ black boxes: The two Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFRs), or black boxes—that each capture cockpit audio and flight data—were damaged in the crash. Indian officials used a “highly specialised” tool called the Golden Chassis—given by the US—to recover 49 hours of flight data and two hours of cockpit audio.

What the black box reveals:

In the flight's final moments, one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel. “The other pilot responded that he did not do so,” the report said. It did not identify which remarks were made by the flight's captain and which by the first officer, nor which pilot transmitted "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" just before the crash.

Now, the preliminary report: Both engine fuel cutoff switches flipped from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ position one after another within a second—just as the aircraft reached its maximum speed of 180 knots during take-off. This immediately cut fuel supply to both engines, causing them to lose power.

But, but, but: Within seconds, the switches for both engines flipped back to ‘RUN’ position—likely in an attempt by the pilots to recover thrust, but it was too late. The aircraft was already losing altitude and soon crashed.

About the switches: Turning off the fuel requires someone to manually flip both switches to the ‘CUTOFF’ position. As you can see in the image below, neither of the switches are simple push-buttons that one may accidentally press:

Indian Express explains:

According to airline pilots and experts, the movement of the fuel control switches—critical switches that allow and cut fuel flow to the plane’s engines—have to be deliberate actions and their accidental movement is next to impossible. The switches have brackets on either side to protect them. Additionally, there is a stop lock mechanism that requires the pilots to lift the switch before moving it from either of its two positions—RUN and CUTOFF—to the other.

About that RAT: As we explained, the leading theories until now focused on the ram air turbine (RAT)—which was visibly deployed in photos taken before the crash. The switches may explain why the jet’s emergency-power generator kicked in.

The big Q: The report doesn’t tell us why the fuel switches were flipped—was it pilot error, mechanical failure, or electronic malfunction? Both pilots were highly experienced: “Sumeet Sabharwal, a pilot who served as the flight’s captain, had logged over 10,000 hours flying wide-body, or larger, aircraft, and his co-pilot, Clive Kunder, had over 3,400 hours of experience.” Former airline accident investigator Shawn Pruchnicki points out the cockpit audio reveals no signs of confusion or ill-intent:

In many cockpit emergencies, pilots may press the wrong buttons or make incorrect selections — but there was no indication of such a situation here, nor any discussion suggesting that the fuel switches were selected by mistake. This kind of error doesn't typically happen without some evident issue.”

A key point to note: The report also references a December 2018 US Federal Aviation Administration bulletin that noted “some Boeing 737 fuel control switches were installed with the locking feature disengaged.” The crashed plane had the same switch design. But we don’t know what happened with these switches—as they were not inspected before the flight. The reason: The bulletin was issued as an advisory and did not require a safety inspection.

The fallout: Indian pilot associations are furious at what they see as a “reckless and unfounded insinuation of pilot suicide”:

Pilots undergo extensive psychological and professional screening, recurrent training, and operate under the highest standards of safety, responsibility, and mental fitness. To casually suggest pilot suicide in the absence of verified evidence is a gross violation of ethical reporting and a disservice to the dignity of the profession.

Point to remember: Boeing has been quick to blame pilot error for its worse plane accidents—including the 2018 Lion Air crash in Jakarta and the Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed five months later. In both cases, the cause was later determined to be a design defect during manufacturing—which Boeing was finally forced to acknowledge.

What’s next: This is just the preliminary report—the full report will be published within 12 months of the incident.

Reading list: Hindustan Times has more on the recovered black box recording. Wall Street Journal and Indian Express offer the unanswered questions, and some reading between the lines. BBC News asks the big Qs that arise out of the investigation. Times of India has more on the pilots’ response. Check out our Big Story on the initial theories from the Air India flight crash.

Speaking of aircraft engines: According to a Bloomberg News report, Delta Air Lines is reportedly ripping engines off new European jets to use on old US planes to avoid tariffs as it navigates a supply shortage. (Quartz)

2/6 The Vedanta scandal: A new East India Company?

The context: Vedanta Resources is a London-listed mining giant owned by Indian billionaire Anil Agarwal. The company's Indian arm, Vedanta Limited, has a massive footprint in the country, running dozens of mines that extract everything from aluminium and zinc to iron ore and oil…

3/6 A strange tale of the Russian lady of our forests

During a routine patrol of a forest near Gokarna on July 11, Karnataka police made a bizarre discovery—a cave-dwelling Russian woman named Nina Kutina and her two daughters—aged six and four…

For more in splainer LITE…

Chelsea win the FIFA Club World Cup!
Sinner and Świątek are Wimbledon champions!
Zak Crawley’s time-wasting annoys Shubman Gill

what caught our eye

business & tech

Before answering thorny questions on things like Palestine, abortion, or immigration, Grok first checks what Elon Musk has said—online or on X.
Also, Elon Musk’s AI company xAI issued an apology after Grok sparked outrage by making antisemitic comments and praising Hitler on X.

sports & entertainment

James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ earned $122 million domestically and $95 million overseas—providing optimism for DC Studios’ upcoming slate of superhero films.
The Hindu looks at the evolution of Superman’s theme song in its various adaptations and reboots.

health & environment

According to the UN World Meteorological Organization, sand and dust storms affect about 330 million people in over 150 countries—taking a toll on people’s health.
Four out of the ten rivers that flow through Bangladesh have failed to meet the minimum level of water flow. These rivers included the Ganges and Old Brahmaputra.

meanwhile, in the world

The ICE raids have everyone scared. CNN has the tragic story of a farmworker who fell from a greenhouse roof during one raid and died from the injuries.
The Guardian gives a glimpse inside Ukrainian museums that now house fragments of war and occupation.
Gaza ceasefire hangs in the balance… again. Hamas and Israel on Saturday accused each other of blocking attempts to strike a deal.
Financial Times looks at what electricity rationing will look like for the Dutch government as well as the rest of Europe.

meanwhile, in India

Washington Post (splainer gift link) has a good read on India’s deportation drive—where Muslim men were beaten, detained, had their homes razed, and in some cases, thrown into the sea.
Birkenstock has dragged Indian counterfeiters to court—prompting factory inspections near Delhi and Agra after fakes were found being made and exported.
A student’s self-immolation over ignored sexual harassment complaints at a Balasore college has sparked a political firestorm in Odisha.
An IIM Calcutta student has been arrested for alleged rape—only for the survivor’s father to later deny the charges, saying his daughter is “fine and is sleeping.”
During the voter roll cleanup in Bihar, the Election Commission says it found large numbers of people from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar—none of whom will make it to the final list.

A list of puzzling questions

Editor’s note: Every week, we feature three questions from our quiz master Shantanu Sharma—who is a researcher-writer, and has a side hustle as a professional quiz guru. He’d love to hear from you—so send your feedback/suggestions or just say ‘hi’ over at sharmashantanu312@gmail.com or @shantorasbox on Twitter.

How this works: Every correct answer is worth 10 points. If a question has multiple parts, each is worth 5 points. You have until Friday 12 pm to send in your answers to talktous@splainer.in or via DMs on Insta or Twitter. The correct answers will be published every Monday. We email the winner at the end of the month with details of the grand prize.

Rule to note: We will pick winners each month using a lucky draw.

The answers: to the previous week’s quiz are at the bottom—as are the winners for the first week of July.

One: A connoisseur of flavour and finesse, what coveted distinction is she the only Indian recipient of?

Two: Assemble this constellation of clues to work out a literary connection.

a) Remember this looney?

b) Greek goddess

c) Pray to the Godmother

Three: Which new bride is the brains and guts behind this company? What cinematic production need does it fulfill? (5+5)

About last week’s quiz…

Here are the answers to the previous edition of the splainer quiz:

One: Who’s sneaking in a quick camera break while teaming up with a lab partner for some terrestrial experiments?

Answer: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian to reach the International Space Station and only the second Indian in space as the pilot for the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). Less known, however, is that he was already pushing the frontiers of space science. During his time as an MTech student at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, he co-authored two papers that looked at how we might build and survive on Mars, using microbes to turn Martian soil into bricks and exploring how to neutralise the toxic salts found on the planet’s surface. The image in question was posted on X by one of his labmates, Swati Dubey.

Two: Connect the elements below to work out a brief celebration of the written word.

a) The man behind the machine

b) Designers of the aluminium sculpture

c) First of the seven

Answer: JCB Prize for Literature

Joseph Cyril Bamford, a pioneering British industrialist and engineer, founded the construction equipment giant JCB in 1945. Today, JCB has entered the Oxford English Dictionary as a generic term for mechanical excavators, and its vivid JCB yellow. The JCB Prize for Literature was India’s most expensive literary award (2018–2024). The Rs 25-lakh annual prize celebrated excellence in Indian fiction and honoured the work of translators with an additional Rs 5 lakh.

Its distinctive trophy is called ‘Mirror Melting’—a twisting aluminium form by artist duo Thukral & Tagra. It symbolised the fluid, ever-shifting nature of storytelling. The inaugural award in 2018 went to ‘Jasmine Days’ by Benyamin, translated from Malayalam by Shahnaz Habib. The news of the prize shutting down last month comes after the cancellation of the JCB Literature Foundation’s licence “issued to it under section 8(5) of the Companies Act, 2013”.

Three: Who sported this cool vest on his unforgettable outing?

Answer: Ferris Bueller/Matthew Broderick

Ferris Bueller’s vest from ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ (1986), worn by Matthew Broderick was auctioned by Sotheby’s New York for $279,400, after receiving 11 bids. Costume designer Marilyn Vance originally bought the sweater for $28 from Marshall Field’s in Chicago and cut off the sleeves to give Ferris a mismatched, eccentric teen look. She completed the outfit with a Perry Ellis suit and a simple white T-shirt, creating a now-iconic ensemble. The vest was sold by Darren Rovell, former ESPN sports business reporter and founder of cllct, a site focused on the collectibles market. You can check out Sotheby’s bid announcement video here.