Bloom Energy’s price target went up today. The news isn’t as good as you think.
Bloom Energy (BE -10.83%) stock, one of the first hydrogen stocks to ever go public, is having a rough afternoon Tuesday, down 11.2% through 2:50 p.m. ET. And why?
This may surprise you: It all started when Bank of Americaraised its price target on Bloom stock today.
Image source: Getty Images.
What BofA said about Bloom Energy
BofA raised its price target on Bloom Energy stock to $24 today, as The Fly reports. That sounds like it should be good news — except for the fact that Bloom already sells for more than $76 per share.
Thus, while BofA is marginally less pessimistic about the shares today than it once was, the investment banker is still effectively predicting Bloom stock will fall 70% in price over the next year.
Bloom stock rocketed this year — up 650% in 12 months — on the back of news that companies like American Electric Power and Oracle are using its fuel cells to help provide necessary electric power for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.
That’s the good news.
The bad news is that despite announcing these contract wins, Bloom hasn’t raised its guidance for earnings this year, suggesting the contracts may not be profitable for Bloom. Total earnings for the last 12 months at Bloom remain less than $24 million, meaning that, at a market capitalization of $20.2 billion, Bloom stock sells for an astounding 852 times earnings.
That’s a very expensive valuation for a company that is still expected to lose money this year and that, even if it turns profitable next year as expected, will be selling for a forward P/E ratio well in the triple digits.
I agree with BofA. This stock’s probably a sell.
Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Rich Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Oracle. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Singer-songwriter Brett James, who penned country music hits for stars including Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney and Jason Aldean, was one of three people who died Thursday in a plane crash in North Carolina. He was 57.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced in its preliminary report that three people were on board in a Cirrus SR22T that “crashed in a field” Thursday at around 3 p.m. local time in Franklin, N.C. There were no survivors, the North Carolina State Highway patrol confirmed in a statement.
According to additional information from the FAA, the songwriter was on the plane, which was registered to him under his legal name, Brett James Cornelius. It’s unclear whether he was piloting the plane during its crash, which the FAA said occurred “under unknown circumstances.” The state patrol confirmed the musician’s death, adding that his wife, Melody Carole, and Carole’s daughter Meryl Maxwell Wilson were the other two people on the plane. Wilson celebrated her birthday this week, according to a post on Carole’s Instagram page.
The aircraft had taken off from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board said they are investigating the crash.
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame shared the news of James’ death Thursday in a social media post. “We mourn the untimely loss of Hall of Fame member Brett James (‘Jesus Take The Wheel’ / ‘When the Sun Goes Down’), a 2020 inductee who was killed in a small-engine airplane crash on Sept. 18,” the post said.
James, born June 5, 1968, is best known for co-writing the 2005 Underwood hit “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” The ballad, also co-written by Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson, helped propel the careers of “American Idol” winner Underwood and James: It won the country song prize at the 2007 Grammy Awards and was dubbed ASCAP’s country song of the year in 2006.
The Missouri-born musician began his music career in the early 1990s after leaving medical school behind. He signed as a solo to Career Records, a subsidiary of Arista Nashville, but found his calling writing for Chesney, Billy Ray Cyrus, Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw and other country music acts.
“A brilliant songwriter and amazing man. He was the pen behind ‘Summer Nights,’ ‘Love You Out Loud’ and countless songs we’ve all sang along too,” Rascal Flatts said Friday in an Instagram tribute. “He will be greatly missed.”
Aldean also remembered James during his show in Lincoln, Neb., performing their song “The Truth.” The singer said he had “nothing but love and respect for that guy and he helped change my life” in a social media post of that performance.
James also penned Cheney and Uncle Kracker’s “When the Sun Goes Down,” Underwood’s “Cowboy Casanova” and Rodney Atkins’ “It’s America.” As a solo artist, James released several singles, a self-titled album in 1995 and the 2020 EP “I Am Now.” ASCAP named James its country songwriter of the year twice, first in 2006 then in 2010.
Jack Stooks was responsible for Highgrove House and Gardens, one of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s most cherished homes in Gloucestershire.
Speaking on Friday’s This Morning, Jack not only provided gardening tips but also disclosed how he secured his position and recounted the occasion he gatecrashed King Charles’ honeymoon with Queen Camilla.
Jack told presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary: “I went on honeymoon with the King!” prompting Dermot, 52, to ask: “What’s that all about?” whilst Alison, 50, gasped: “You gatecrashed it?”
King Charles III’s former gardener of 21 years has opened up(Image: Getty)
Clarifying what had occurred, Jack recalled: “After the wedding at Windsor, I got to do some cut flowers from the King’s garden, from the Queen’s garden and actually take them down to the wedding. They were actually used at their wedding!”, reports the Express.
“After the wedding, there were trees and things that came out of the chapel and I took those up to Scotland, to Birkhall, so I got to plant them with the King, which was amazing!”
Meanwhile, Jack disclosed how he landed his role, saying: “I wrote and asked for a job, there I was at Highgrove!” following an encounter with the King at his aunty and uncle’s residence where he “seemed nice”.
Noting he served as a gardener for 21 years, he continued: “I left last year! [That job] just from a simple letter!”
Jack Stooks took charge of Highgrove House and Gardens(Image: ITV)
Jack previously shared with the Mirror about the King: “He was very much on the ball all the time. If he came home at the weekend, he would be out in the garden checking what’s been done, what hasn’t been done.”
The King, according to Jack, had a deep affection for his garden and would often make comments indicating his keen interest.
“He would be like, ‘This needs doing, that needs doing’,” Jack remembered. “So, it was really good to know that you’re working for somebody that actually took everything in.
“He was interested in the garden he knew what was going on. So, we all had the sense of satisfaction that we would get something right and know that it was actually being enjoyed and admired by the person who owns it.”
Catch This Morning on weekdays at 10am on ITV and ITV X
This exciting technology stock is ideally placed to take advantage of integrating artificial intelligence into its solutions.
Investors in electronic design automation and engineering simulation software company Synopsys(SNPS 1.68%) recently saw their stock crash more than 35% on the day of its third-quarter earnings release. The decline prompted Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest to double down on the stock by purchasing almost 16,000 shares for its exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Should investors follow Ark into buying Synopsys on a dip, or is this the start of a deeper move downward?
How Synopsys is poised for growth
Before delving into the details of the third-quarter update, it’s worth examining the long-term investment case and why Ark is enthusiastic about the company. The case for Synopsys rests on the surge of interest in artificial intelligence (AI)-powered products and the growth of the market for companies developing custom-made chips to integrate into their products.
As products become increasingly smart, and the value quotient of a product stemming from its software/intelligence continues to rise, there will be significant opportunities for Synopsys to expand beyond its core customer base. Synopsys is a leader in the electronic design automation (EDA) that semiconductor and electronics companies use to design chips, including AI chip design.
While semiconductors are its core customer base, a growing number of electronics, technology, automotive, medical, industrial, aerospace, and defense companies are designing chips in-house. As such, Synopsys has an organic growth opportunity — and that has been enhanced by a high-profile acquisition.
Why the Ansys deal is a game changer
The recent acquisition of engineering simulation and analysis software company Ansys will help accelerate that growth, not least because Ansys’ existing customer base (companies that want to simulate and model) is a lot broader than Synopsys’ base. In a nutshell, the acquisition of Ansys will allow Synopsys to amplify its sales footprint to a customer base it’s already expanding in.
It will also create a so-called “silicon-to-systems” solution provider, whereby it sells EDA (legacy Synopsys) to help customers design chips, and simulation software (new Synopsys/Ansys) so they can model how the chips and products infused with AI will perform.
What happened in the third quarter
While the long-term outlook for its EDA, simulation, and analysis solutions (Ansys) remains excellent, the company’s second business segment — design intellectual property (IP) — faces significant near-term challenges, and it showed in the near 8% decline in sales in the third quarter.
Synopsys Revenue
Third Quarter 2024
Third Quarter 2025
Change
Design Automation (in billions)
$1.063
$1.312
23.5%
Design IP (in billions)
$0.463
$0.428
(7.7%)
Total (in billions
$1.526
$1.740
14%
Data source: Synopsys.
While EDA provides the tools to design and develop chips, design IP offers third-party IP blocks (licensed for use) that customers can incorporate into their design. Intel is a longtime customer and collaborator. Discussing the disappointing performance in the third quarter, CEO Sassine Ghazi narrowed it down to three reasons:
Export restrictions curtailed investment decisions for customers investing in China.
“Challenges at a major foundry customer are also having a sizable impact on the year,” according to Ghazi on the earnings call.
Partly in connection with the issues at the foundry customer (possibly Intel) Ghazi noted, “We made certain road map and resource decisions that did not yield their intended results.”
Consequently, Ghazi said he was taking a more cautious view of the fourth quarter and refocusing resources on higher-growth areas in design IP, while conducting a strategic review of his portfolio.
Image source: Getty Images.
What it means for investors
On one hand, the share price crash presents an interesting opportunity to buy into an exciting long-term growth story.
On the other hand, investors should be aware that the issues identified in the design IP segment may take time to resolve. Even though the restrictions on Synopsys sales to China have been lifted, the impact persists, with Ghazi noting that customers are “questioning whether or not they will invest in a multiyear commitment with Synopsys, how broad will they make that investment?”
The issue with the foundry customer is something Synopsys has control over, and the adjustments to its design IP business toward higher-growth opportunities will take time to come to fruition. Meanwhile, management is busy integrating the Ansys acquisition.
While the sell-off appears overdone, it will take time for Synopsys to work through these issues, and cautious investors will want to see some hard evidence of improvement before buying in.
Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Intel and Synopsys. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: short November 2025 $21 puts on Intel. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Opendoor stock soared 80% yesterday, but its new chairman called the company “bloated.”
Yesterday was a big day for Opendoor Technologies(OPEN -10.88%) stock. Shares of the online real estate platform skyrocketed 80% yesterday after it named a new CEO. Retail investors have been rallying behind Opendoor, turning it into the latest meme stock.
Today, though, investors are booking those gains. Co-founder and new chairman Keith Rabois squashed some of the excitement surrounding the stock in a CNBC interview this morning. Shares had plunged by 15.4% at 1:17 p.m. ET.
Image source: Getty Images.
Is Opendoor bloated and broken?
Rabois and co-founder Eric Wu were brought back to the board of directors yesterday after Kaz Nejatian, formerly chief operating officer of Shopify, was appointed CEO. Today, Rabois said of the company’s 1,400-member workforce, “I don’t know what most of them do.” He stressed that a headcount reduction would be coming as more than 200 current employees aren’t needed, in his opinion.
Rabois called the workforce “bloated” from the ability to work remotely. He added this:
The culture was broken. These people were working remotely. That doesn’t work. This company was founded on the principle of innovation and working together in person. We’re going to return to our roots.
Rabois also contended that Opendoor was not, as many investors claim, a meme stock. Shares have rocketed more than 1,300% in the last three months behind retail trader support.
Rather, he said the retail movement in stocks is healthy as consumers, not professional money managers, are deciding what stocks to support.
That’s bound to be a controversial point of view. Investors who own Opendoor for the momentum of a meme stock might be dumping shares today. That’s probably a smart move, too. Eventually, business fundamentals will win out. A turnaround in the housing sector might be what saves Opendoor’s currently unprofitable business, but that remains to be seen.
Howard Smith has positions in Shopify and has the following options: short October 2025 $110 calls on Shopify. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Shopify. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
A TWO-year-old boy was killed as his parents walked him back from the beach, an inquest heard.
Sonny Macdonald was in his pushchair, just minutes away from home, when a car crashed into the family at around 8.15pm on August 16.
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Little Sonny Macdonald was tragically killed after a car struck him in his pushchairCredit: UKNIP
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The tot’s parents were also seriously injured in the horrorCredit: UKNIP
Tragedy struck as the vehicle lost control and smashed through a metal barrier in Gorrell Tank car park, Whitstable, Kent.
Sonny was pronounced dead at the scene, while his parents were rushed to hospital with serious injuries.
An inquest into the two-year-old’s death was opened at Oakwood House in Maidstone on Friday.
Coroner Katrina Hepburn said: “His mother and father witnessed his death, which occurred at approximately 8.24pm.
“[They] were walking back from Whitstable beach from the harbour with Sonny, who was in a pushchair.”
She said the car turned into Cromwell Road, “lost control” and “drove into the family”, as reported by Kent Online.
“The vehicle continued through a metal barrier down onto a car park below, around a six-foot drop, taking Sonny with it,” the coroner added.
Due to an ongoing police investigation, the inquest was adjourned.
Kent Police arrested a man in his 20s at the scene of the horror, on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
He has been bailed while investigations are ongoing.
Floral tributes and cuddly toys were left at the scene in wake of the tragedy.
Canterbury and Whitstable MP Rosie Duffield said at the time: “I was shocked and very saddened to hear about the horrific incident in Whitstable, and I cannot begin to imagine what the family of the little boy who lost his life must be going through.
“My thoughts are with them and all caught up in this awful tragedy.
”Thank you to our excellent emergency services and all who were there to help, I hope the Police are able to carry out their investigations swiftly and provide some answers about what happened.
“I would urge anyone who may have been nearby to contact Kent Police in case you may have picked up important evidence on your dashcam, or witnessed something that may turn out to be significant.”
Witnesses who have not yet spoken to police, should call 01622 798538 or email [email protected], quoting reference BN/AL/058/25.
Relevant CCTV and dashcam footage can be uploaded via the online portal.
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Kent Police arrested a man in his 20s at the sceneCredit: UKNIP
Time to dig into why this rare-earth-mining stock is sinking.
Giving back all of its 5.7% gain from last week, shares of USA Rare Earth(USAR 2.24%) have been in free fall this week. Several news events out of the rare-earth-mining industry have investors feeling less than bullish on the stock’s prospects.
According to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence, shares of the metals stock have plunged 18% from the end of last Friday’s trading session through 12:25 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Image source: Getty Images.
News from around the world has investors feeling woeful
The week began on an inauspicious note when investors learned that rare-earth exports out of China have ramped up this summer. According to Bloomberg, the export volume of Chinese rare-earth products rose 69% from June to July. With rare earth products at the core of trade tensions between the U.S. and China, investors are hyperfocused on news that the world’s leading rare-earth producer has escalated its exports of the prized critical minerals.
Tuesday didn’t provide much relief. Reuters reported that Vulcan Elements, a producer of rare-earth magnets, recently signed a supply deal with ReElement for rare-earth oxides. USA Rare Earth recognizes the commencement of operations next year at its rare-earth-magnet production facility as a major catalyst. Investors are likely fretful about the company’s prospects if peers are inking rare-earth-magnet deals while USA Rare Earth isn’t enjoying the same interest.
Yet another factor behind the stock’s tumble this week is news from rare-earth peer Critical Metals(CRML -3.28%), which reported favorable drilling results from a project in Greenland. Besides magnet production, USA Rare Earth is also focused on mining at its resource in Texas. With the promising results that Critical Metals reported for its Greenland asset, investors may be finding USA Rare Earth less appealing.
What’s an investor to do now?
Because USA Rare Earth is a highly speculative investment, the volatility this week is unsurprising. Current shareholders should simply sit tight at this point, since nothing materially has changed for the company.
Scott Levine has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
A TEEN boy died “in terror” after his dad crashed on a motorway while high on cocaine.
Daniel Burba, 31, has been advised by doctors not to drive when got behind the wheel of his wife’s van with 14-year-old Ryan Morgan in the passenger seat.
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Ryan Morgan was killed in the horror crashCredit: PA
The dad had been diagnosed with epilepsy just weeks before the horror which was made worse by the use of illegal drugs.
Despite this, Burba was four-times the limit for cocaine and its derivative benzoylecgonine – causing him to suffer an epileptic fit.
Ryan had no choice but to try to gain control of the van before it swerved off the M6 near Lancaster and hit a tree.
The teen was tragically pronounced dead at the scene after suffering head injuries.
Burba, who also only had a provisional licence, was taken to hospital with “relatively minor” injuries.
While being treated, a paramedic discovered a small bag of cocaine in the dad’s wallet.
Burba has now been jailed for ten years after he pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and driving without a licence or insurance.
In a victim impact statement, Ryan’s mum said her heart has been broken and told how she has been unable to grieve properly because she fears once she starts, she won’t be able to stop.
She continued: “I feel that no amount of time Daniel will serve will ever be enough for taking Ryan’s life. Not only did he take my boy’s life, he took my boy’s future.
“My boy will never grow and be a father, go to work and follow his dreams or travel. He didn’t even get to finish school. He hasn’t ever had a chance to experience life.
“It’s so unfair because Ryan did have a beautiful heart. He wanted to be a policeman. He would have changed the world. He made it a better place in the short time he was here. He made everyone smile who came into contact with him. He had a smile that lit up the room.
“Daniel has taken all that and more. Daniel has taken a precious son, brother, grandson, nephew, friend and cousin. He had so much to live for.
“The fact that Daniel knew he wasn’t allowed to drive due to his seizures, plus a lack of licence and insurance is just disgusting.”
Preston Crown Court heard the horror unfolded on April 20 as other motorists noticed Burba driving erratically with his hazards on.
He reached speeds of more than 70mph before leaving the carriageway and smashing into a tree.
The court heard the Peugeot Bipper van flipped over due to the force it hit the tree.
Police later discovered Burba had been told in October 2014 by his doctor to stop taking cocaine after he suffered a seizure which lasted up to four minutes.
He was also advised not to drive, with the same warning issued in February when he was admitted to hospital after more fits.
Sentencing, Judge Robert Altham, the Honorary Recorder of Preston, told him: “You knew that cocaine predisposed you to further fits.
“You were not entitled to drive unsupervised and certainly not on the motorway. You should not have behind the wheel at all.”
As well as the jail sentence, Judge Altham disqualified Burba from driving for 14 years and five months.
Sgt Martin Wilcock, Senior Investigating Officer at our Road Policing Unit, said: “No sentence will ever make up for any loss of life, particularly in these tragic circumstances. However, Daniel Burba will have the rest of his life to reflect upon the catastrophic consequences his decision to consume drugs and then get behind the wheel have had. Sadly, his son will not.
“I hope the outcome of this case sends a strong message out to anyone who is considering driving, having been told by a doctor not to. Or anyone who is considering driving, having consumed drugs or alcohol.
“As is so very obvious from this case, you run the risk of taking a life but also ruining many others – including your own.”
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Daniel Burba has been jailed for ten yearsCredit: PA
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He had taken cocaine before getting behind the wheelCredit: PA
The brother of late NFL star and U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman is being held in custody in connection with a vehicle driven into a Northern California post office.
The San Jose Police Department said in an email to The Times on Monday that 44-year-old resident Richard Tillman was booked on charges of arson after he allegedly drove a car into the Almaden Valley Station Post Office at around 3 a.m. Sunday and caused the box lobby area to catch fire.
The fire was extinguished and no injuries were reported.
According to to the Santa Clara County Sheriff Office’s inmate locator, Richard Tillman is being held on a $60,000 bond and has a court hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
“The motive and circumstances are still under investigation,” the SJPD said.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which is leading the investigation, said in a statement emailed to The Times that it is looking into the incident “as a potentially intentional act.”
NBC Bay Area reported that the suspect told officers on the scene that he is Pat Tillman’s brother. The station also reports that the suspect live-streamed the incident on social media.
A third Tillman brother, Kevin, released a statement Monday.
“Our family is aware that my brother Richard has been arrested. First and foremost, we are relieved that no one was physically harmed,” Kevin Tillman stated. “We have limited information at this time but we are in communication with local authorities and are providing as much background and context as we can.
“To be clear, it’s no secret that Richard has been battling severe mental health issues for many years. He has been livestreaming, what I’ll call, his altered self on social media for anyone to witness. Unfortunately, securing the proper care and support for him has proven incredibly difficult — or rather, impossible. As a result, none of this is as shocking as it should be.”
In the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, Pat Tillman famously walked away from a three-year, $3.6-million contract offer from the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the Army, along with Kevin.
On April 22, 2004, Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire in the province of Khost, Afghanistan. Richard Tillman spoke at his brother’s public memorial service on May 4, 2004, at the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden.
Last week, the San Francisco Chronicle reports, Richard Tillman had posted an 11-minute video onto YouTube in which he stated he would “take down the system,” including the U.S. government. His YouTube channel has since been removed, the Chronicle reports, but previously contained several videos “posted in recent months documenting his own apparent unraveling.”
New Delhi, India – Just moments before a fatal Air India crash on June 12, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s fuel-control switches in the cockpit mysteriously moved from the “run” to the “cutoff” position, an early investigation into the disaster has revealed.
Flipping to cutoff almost immediately cuts the engines. The investigation’s report, issued by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) early on Saturday, found that both engines shut down within the space of one second, leading to immediate loss of altitude.
The report does not conclude any reason for the switches moving or apportion blame for the crash of Air India’s Flight 171, which had been bound for London’s Gatwick Airport.
Rather, the new details emerging from the report, including voice recordings from the cockpit, appear to have compounded the mystery about what caused the crash.
This is what the report has found and what we know about the final minute before the plane crashed.
What happened on June 12?
At 13:38 [08:08 GMT] on the afternoon of June 12, the Dreamliner departed Ahmedabad for London Gatwick with 230 passengers, 10 cabin crew and 2 pilots on board.
Less than 40 seconds later, the aircraft lost both engines during its initial climb.
In the first such incident for a 787 Dreamliner, the plane crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel and adjoining structures in a densely populated suburb of the city, just under a nautical mile (equivalent to about 1.85km) from the runway.
The aircraft broke apart on impact, igniting a fire that destroyed parts of five buildings. All but one of the people on board the plane were killed. The sole survivor was Vishwaskumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British national of Indian origin.
Some 19 people on the ground were also killed and 67 were injured.
A journalist stands next to the wreckage of the landing gear of the Air India aircraft, bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, which crashed during takeoff from the airport in Ahmedabad, India, on June 12, 2025 [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]
What has the investigation revealed?
The AAIB, an office under India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation, is leading the probe into the world’s deadliest aviation accident in a decade. The probe is also joined by experts from Boeing and participants from the United States and United Kingdom.
According to the preliminary report, the aircraft was deemed airworthy, with its Airworthiness Review Certificate valid until May 2026. Routine maintenance had been carried out, and no dangerous goods were on board.
However, investigators noted a previous US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advisory from December 2018 regarding a potential flaw in the aircraft’s fuel-control switch system – highlighting the potential disengagement of the locking feature.
The report on the Air India crash noted that this advisory had been prompted by reports from operators of Boeing 737 aircraft, highlighting that fuel-control switches had been found to have been installed with their locking mechanisms disengaged.
Air India told the investigators that no inspection had been made in response to this SAIB, since compliance was not mandatory.
The report noted that the throttle control module on the aircraft had been replaced in 2019 and again in 2023. However, these replacements were not related to the fuel-control switch, and no defects concerning the switch have been reported since 2023, the report highlighted.
Key systems such as the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) and Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) were engaged and attempted automatic recovery, but only partial engine relight was achieved before the aircraft crashed.
(Al Jazeera)
What does the audio recording from the cockpit reveal?
Shortly after takeoff, both engines shut down almost simultaneously, as the fuel control switches inexplicably moved from “run” to “cutoff”.
Cockpit voice recordings captured one pilot questioning the other, “Why did you cut off?”
The other pilot replied that he had not done so.
The pilots quickly attempted to recover control: the fuel switches were returned to “run”; the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) was deployed; and the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) auto-started.
According to the report, Engine 1 began relighting, but Engine 2 failed to regain thrust. Just seconds before impact, a panicked “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY” call was transmitted.
What did air traffic control observe?
The Air Traffic Control Officer at Ahmedabad received no response at all following the Mayday call sign but observed the aircraft crashing outside the airport boundary.
CCTV footage from the airport showed the aircraft’s Ram Air Turbine (RAT) being deployed during the initial climb immediately after lift-off. The aircraft then started to lose altitude before crossing the airport perimeter wall.
The report has not determined whether the fuel-switch shutdown was mechanical or accidental. The investigators have also not “speaker-stamped” the voice recording – identified who is speaking – from the cockpit yet.
Who were the pilots?
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the 56-year-old pilot-in-command (PIC), had extensive experience with 15,638 total flying hours, including 8,596 hours on the Boeing 787, of which 8,260 hours were as PIC.
The co-pilot, or first officer, was Clive Kunder. The 32-year-old had accumulated 3,403 flying hours, including 1,128 hours on the B787, all as co-pilot. His endorsements included C172 and PA-34 as PIC and A320 and B787 as co-pilot.
On the day of the accident, Kunder was the pilot flying the Dreamliner while Sabharwal acted as the pilot monitoring, responsible for supporting the flight through communication with air traffic control and system monitoring.
Rescue officials work at the site where Air India flight 171 crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025. The London-bound passenger plane crashed in India’s western city of Ahmedabad with 242 on board, aviation officials said, in what the airline called a ‘tragic accident’ [Sam Panthaky/AFP]
This is a second-by-second timeline of Flight 171’s last moments:
08:07:33 [GMT]: Cleared for takeoff from Ahmedabad’s runway 23.
08:07:37: Aircraft begins takeoff roll.
08:08:33: Aircraft reaches V1 (153 knots).
08:08:35: Aircraft achieves Vr (155 knots) for rotation.
08:08:39: Lift-off registered.
08:08:42: Aircraft peaks at its maximum recorded speed of 180 knots; both engine-fuel switches abruptly transition to “cutoff”.
08:08:47: Engines lose power; RAT deploys to provide emergency hydraulics.
08:08:52: Engine 1 fuel switch is returned to “run”.
08:08:54: APU inlet door begins to open (auto-start initiates).
08:08:56: Engine 2 fuel switch also moved to “run”.
08:09:05: Pilot transmits “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY”.
08:09:11: Final data recorded; aircraft hits the ground.
According to Saturday’s report, at this stage of the investigation, there is no need for airlines or engine makers to take any action regarding the Boeing 787-8 planes or GE GEnx-1B engines. Further investigation is under way.