‘Just one or two more flights': Haunting words of Air India pilot at centre of ‘mental health' probe after mum's death
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THE doomed Air India flight's captain was considering quitting his job early to look after his elderly father, his neighbours have revealed.
The London Gatwick-bound AI 171 flight was led by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was reportedly just months away from retirement.
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Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was the lead pilot in the doomed Air India flight
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Officials inspect the remains of the Air India passenger plane at the crash site near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad
Credit: EPA
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The plane seconds before disaster
Credit: X
He wanted to retire early and take care of his 92-year-old father Pushkaraj Sabharwal, who was a former official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) - India's aviation regulatory body.
Savitri Budhania, an elderly neighbour of Captain Sabharwal, revealed she once told him that "your father is too old to be living alone".
To which the pilot replied: "Just one or two more flights… then I'm going to just be with Papa."
Ms Budhania told the Times of India that Captain Sabharwal was a gentleman who would often take his father out for evening walks.
She added: "Whenever he wasn't flying, you'd find him walking hand in hand with his father in the evening.
"They would smile at everyone, just wonderful people.
"Who knew this would be it."
But a leading aviation expert in India told The Telegraph that Captain Sabharwal suffered from mental health issues and depression - and had taken time off in the last few years following his mum's death.
Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a former instructor pilot of Boeing 737, said: "I have heard from several Air India pilots who told me he had some depression and mental health issues.
"He had taken time off from flying in the last three to four years."
Pilot of doomed India Air jet hailed a hero by locals who cheated death by a few feet
Although Mr Ranganathan added that Captain Sabharwal "must have been medically cleared by the company [Air India] doctors" before flying.
The Air India pilot, 56, is understood to have taken a Class I medical exam on September 5 last year.
Investigators are now said to be probing his medical records after the preliminary crash report indicated there may have been human error, although some aviation experts claim it is a case of deliberate action.
Sources said the black box analysis has so far been unable to rule out 'improper, inadvertent or intentional' action that caused them to be flipped.
Families of the victims who tragically died in the crash have slammed the preliminary report as a cover-up.
They have dubbed the investigation "biased" and said it only appears to "blame the dead pilots".
Key findings of the report:
Dual engine shutdown - fuel cutoff switches moved from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF'
- fuel cutoff switches moved from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' Confusion between pilots - cockpit audio confirms one pilot asked 'why did you cutoff', the other replied 'I didn't'
- cockpit audio confirms one pilot asked 'why did you cutoff', the other replied 'I didn't' RAT deployed - as seen in CCTV footage before the crash
- as seen in CCTV footage before the crash Engine relight attempted - fuel switches were found returned to the "RUN" at crash site
- fuel switches were found returned to the "RUN" at crash site 32 seconds - the time the aircraft was airborne before it crashed
the time the aircraft was airborne before it crashed Thrust levers mismatch - Thrust levers found at idle but black box data shows takeoff thrust was still engaged
- Thrust levers found at idle but black box data shows takeoff thrust was still engaged Fuel test pass - fuel was clean without any contamination
- fuel was clean without any contamination Normal take-off set-up - Flaps and landing gear correctly configured
- Flaps and landing gear correctly configured No bird activity - clear skies, good visibility, light winds
- clear skies, good visibility, light winds Pilot credentials clear - both medically fit and rested
- both medically fit and rested No sabotage detected - although FAA alerted over a known fuel switch vulnerability not checked by Air India
- although FAA alerted over a known fuel switch vulnerability not checked by Air India Aircraft loading - the flight was within weight and balance limits
The Airline Pilots' Association of India (APAI) rejected the 'tone and direction' of the inquiry and said it came without sufficient evidence.
However, India's Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said that investigators probed in a "mature, transparent" way.
"This is a preliminary report. We want the final report to come in, so let us wait for it," he added.
Early findings in the 15-page report released by the Indian authorities indicate switches to the engines' fuel supplies were moved from the "RUN" position to "CUTOFF".
The fuel switches were then toggled to the "RUN" position, and the engines appeared to be gathering power, but failed to stop the plane from decelerating.
Analysis of the cockpit voice recording revealed that one of the pilots asked: 'Why did you cut off?"
To which the other pilot replied: 'I didn't."
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A cockpit view of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft shows the fuel switch; Annotations by The Sun Graphics
Credit: Getty
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Clive Kunder was the co-pilot on the doomed flight
Credit: Getty
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Landing gear of the Air India plane crashed directly on the BJ Medical College UG hostel mess
Credit: x/mitrapredator
Though the report does not identify which comments were made by the flight's captain and which were made by the first officer.
Nor does it "identify the cause - whether it was crew error, mechanical malfunction, or electronic failure."
It is almost impossible to turn the switches off accidentally - they must be pulled up and locked before flipping - a safety design feature that was introduced decades ago.
Protective guards are further installed to minimise the risks - raising further questions as to why the fuel switches in the Air India flight were turned off.
The report points out that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2018 issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) - highlighting that a few Boeing 737 fuel control switches were installed with the locking feature disengaged.
But it was not deemed unsafe, and no Airworthiness Directive (AD) - a legally enforceable regulation to correct unsafe conditions in a product - was issued.
A similar switch design is used in Boeing 787-8 aircraft, including Air India's VT-ANB Dreamliner in question.
The FAA and Boeing have now privately issued notifications that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe, according to four sources and a document seen by Reuters.
The report said Air India had said it had not carried out the FAA's suggested inspections, as the FAA 2018 advisory was not a legal mandate.
But it also said maintenance records showed that the throttle control module, which includes the fuel switches, was replaced in 2019 and 2023 on the plane involved in the crash.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 242 passengers on board - including 53 Brits - smashed into a doctors' hostel in Ahmedabad in the west of India.
The plane was headed to London Gatwick when it crashed just seconds after take-off, killing all but one passenger.
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Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Air India crash mystery in full - medical record probe to chilling fuel theory
A preliminary report into the tragic Air India 171 crash that killed 260 people has sparked fury from grieving families and pilots alike, as it raises more questions than it does answers Families grieving the victims of the Air India plane crash have been left with more questions than answers after the official investigation into the disaster sparked a furious backlash. The preliminary report from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, published on Friday, found that both fuel cutoff switches were flipped shortly after takeoff, shutting down the jet's engines. The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a crowded neighbourhood just minutes after it took off from Ahmedabad Airport on June 12, exploding into a fireball and killing 241 passengers, as well as 19 people on the ground. Only one man - British-Indian passenger Vishwashkumar Ramesh - survived the horror. While the report doesn't place blame the pilots for the disaster, aviation experts have pointed out that flipping the fuel cutoff switch has to be done manually. But unfounded speculation swirling online about a potential pilot suicide has sparked anger from one pilot association who insist the crew acted in line with their training should not be vilified. Those mourning the loss of loved ones killed in the crash last month have also slammed the report, stating they are still yet to find closure as the mystery around the exact cause continues to deepen. Now, as a probe is launched to look at one of the pilot's medical records and the CEO or Air India speaks out, we look at the unanswered questions in one of the worst aviation disasters in history. Chilling cockpit audio The preliminary report into the disaster revealed the chilling conversation had in the cockpit just moments before the plane crashed and erupted into flames. It sheds light on the moment one of the pilots realised that the fuel cutoff switches had been flipped, leaving the airline with no engine power. Revealing a panicked exchange, the report said: "In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so." "At about 08:09:05 UTC, one of the pilots transmitted "MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY". The ATCO enquired about the call sign. ATCO did not get any response but observed the aircraft crashing outside the airport boundary and activated the emergency response." Fuel switch mystery Aviation experts have been quick to react to the report's findings that the fuel cutoff switches were seemingly flipped, with one claiming that the crew were "absolutely" the cause. Captain Mohan Ranganthan, one of India's key aviation experts, has suggested this potential cause could have been deliberate. Ranganthan, speaking to NDTV, said: "It has to be done manually, it cannot be done automatically or due to a power failure." These fuel switches have to be operated by pulling each lever upwards to unlock them before being flipped. These switches also have a protective guard bracket to protect them from accidental nudges or bumps. At the time the plane went down, one engine was regaining thrust while the other had relit but had not yet recovered power. Ranganthan added: "The fuel selectors they aren't the sliding type they are always in a slot. They are to pull them out or move them up or down, so the question of them moving inadvertently out of off position doesn't happen. It's a case of deliberate manual selection." He then claimed "nothing else" could have caused that possible explanation, adding: "It had to be deliberately done." Those investigating the crash say that the fuel switchers, which are level-locked, are designed to prevent accidental activation. "It would be almost impossible to pull both switches with a single movement of one hand, and this makes accidental deployment unlikely," an unnamed Canada-based air accidents investigator, told the BBC. Indian pilots slam 'disturbing' claims A group of Indian pilots have issued a furious statement in response to the report and the speculation it has sparked online. Defending the actions of the Air India crew, The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association (ICPA) say that staff "acted in line with their training and responsibilities under challenging conditions and the pilots shouldn't be vilified based on conjecture". "To casually suggest pilot suicide without verified evidence is a gross violation of ethical reporting and a disservice to the dignity of the profession," it fumed. The preliminary investigation does not offer any clarity on how the switches were moved before the crash, but social media users and some experts have been quick to speculate about the role of the pilots. "We are deeply disturbed by speculative narratives emerging in sections of the media and public discourse - particularly the reckless and unfounded insinuation of pilot suicide," the pilot association said. "Let us be unequivocally clear: there is absolutely no basis for such a claim at this stage, and invoking such a serious allegation based on incomplete or preliminary information is not only irresponsible - it is deeply insensitive to the individuals and families involved." Troubling warning six years before crash It has also been claimed that Air India was warned about wrongly installed fuel switches more than six years before the terrifying disaster. The preliminary report into the crash said in December 2018, the US air regulator Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned airlines that fuel switches had been installed in some Boeing 737s "with the locking feature disengaged". 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A relative of Dhir and Heer Baxi, who were travelling home to London after surprising their grandmother for her birthday when they died in the crash, said he was not satisfied by the report's findings. Ishan Baxi, the cousin of the two victims, said: "We're still hoping for a more transparent and honest investigation that doesn't shy away from addressing possible mechanical flaws or lapses in protocol to avoid future potential accidents. "I just hope the final report brings full clarity on what exactly failed and who's accountable. It shouldn't hide behind vague terms." And the loved ones grieving a family of three who died in the crash - Akeel Nanabawa, his wife, Hannaa Vorajee and their four-year-old daughter, Sara Nanabawa - issued a statement. "Moving forwards, we require honesty, transparency and an unwavering commitment to uncovering the full truth," they said. "We seek justice and answers, both of which are essential for us to find any sense of closure. 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The Independent
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The question spurring fresh intrigue in the Air India crash
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