10:13 AM EDT, 07/17/2025 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with statement from Boeing ( BA ) in the seventh paragraph.)

US officials' investigation into last month's Air India crash in Ahmedabad is focusing on the senior pilot after black-box recordings suggest he may have switched off fuel flow to both engines, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.

Cockpit voice recordings indicate that the Boeing ( BA ) 787 captain moved fuel control switches to the "cutoff" position shortly after takeoff, prompting the first officer to reach with surprise and panic, the report said.

The Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's preliminary report released last week has said one of the pilots asked the other why he cut off fuel, while the other denied doing so.

Indian authorities' preliminary report did not reach any conclusion about what led to the crash, or why the fuel switches were turned off.

Meanwhile, the report did not rule out possible design flaws, malfunctions or maintenance issues, and it noted the involvement of aviation medicine and psychology experts in the investigation.

The June 12 crash near Ahmedabad airport killed all but one of the 242 people on board, according to reports.

In an emailed statement to MT Newswires, Boeing ( BA ) said it would defer to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau to provide information about Air India Flight 171. The bureau did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for comment.

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

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