logo
Air India crash: Did captain 'deliberately cut off fuel' sparking co-pilot panic

Air India crash: Did captain 'deliberately cut off fuel' sparking co-pilot panic

Daily Mirror17-07-2025
According to the Wall Street Journal, sources close to the US side of the investigation have said the voice cockpit recording suggests Sabharwal turned off the switches, one after the other, exactly a second apart
American investigators probing the Air India crash are examining the captain's conduct amid revelations that two fuel switches were manually shut off moments after takeoff.

Black box recordings reveal Sumeet Sabharwal remained composed as his first officer, Clive Kunder, appeared to panic when the supply to both engines was suddenly cut. According to the Wall Street Journal, sources close to the US side of the investigation have said the voice cockpit recording suggests Sabharwal turned off the switches, one after the other, exactly a second apart.

According to American pilots who reviewed the Indian report, Kunder was flying the plane at the time and likely concentrating on keeping the Dreamliner steady. As the monitoring pilot, Sabharwal would have been free to make manual adjustments, including to the critical fuel controls.

According to the flight data, ten seconds after the levers were shut off, both switches were flipped back on. By then, the plane had lost thrust. It plummeted into the ground near Ahmedabad airport, erupting into flames and killing all but one of the 242 people on board.
The harrowing details have triggered fresh scrutiny into the mental health of the pilots, particularly the captain. Mohan Ranganathan, a leading Indian aviation safety expert, revealed that 'several' Air India pilots had allegedly confirmed that the experienced pilot had suffered from poor mental health.

The airmen claimed: 'He (Sabharwal ) had taken time off from flying in the last three to four years. He had taken medical leave for that.' Sabharwal, a senior Air India pilot, had also taken bereavement leave following the death of his mother, though Ranganathan said he was 'medically cleared' to return to duty before the doomed flight.
A former colleague described Sabharwal as 'a thorough gentleman' and said he had been considering early retirement to care for his 90-year-old father. 'He was actually considering early retirement in the next couple of years,' they said.
Air India declined to comment on Sabharwal's mental state. However, an official at parent company Tata Group insisted the captain had not taken any recent medical leave and that both pilots had passed Class I medicals, including evaluations of psycho-physical fitness, within the last two years.

Kunder, just 28, had logged more than 3,400 flight hours. He was flying the jet at the time of the crash. On Sunday, a preliminary report released by the Indian authorities led to questions about why the pilot would have manually turned the switches off, and whether it was a deliberate act or a mistake.
US officials reviewing the preliminary crash investigation told the Wall Street Journal a black box recording revealed a tense exchange in the cockpit. First Officer Kunder reportedly asked: 'Why did you cut off?' The captain then replied: 'I didn't.' Sabharwal stayed eerily calm as the aircraft plunged.

Fuel levers are not simple push buttons. To operate them, pilots must lift each lever upward against a locking guard before flipping it. At takeoff, both were inexplicably turned off, triggering speculation that the act was either a calamitous error or something worse.
Captain Ranganathan believes it was the latter. 'These selectors aren't sliding types. They are always in a slot,' he said. 'You have to pull them out or move them up or down, so the question of them moving inadvertently doesn't happen. It's a case of deliberate manual selection.'
When asked whether one pilot may have shut off the fuel levers knowing the consequences, Ranganathan replied: 'Absolutely… It had to be deliberately done.' The possibility of a pilot-induced crash has enraged relatives of the victims, many of whom suspect a cover-up to protect the airline and authorities.

Ameen Siddiqui, 28, whose brother-in-law Akeel Nanabawa died in the crash alongside his wife and four-year-old daughter, said: 'This report is wrong. We don't accept it. They want to blame dead pilots who can't defend themselves.' CCTV footage from the airport confirmed the deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) - a backup power source - shortly after takeoff. Two minutes later, a pilot transmitted: 'Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.'
In December 2018, the US Federal Aviation Administration warned airlines that fuel switches in some Boeing aircraft had been installed with locking mechanisms disengaged, raising the risk of accidental shut-off.
But Air India said it did not carry out inspections because the FAA advisory was not mandatory. Miraculously, one passenger survived. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, seated in 11A by the exit, escaped with his life. His brother, Ajaykumar, 35, seated across the aisle in 11J, perished in the crash.
The aircraft was en route from Ahmedabad to Gatwick. Among the dead were 11 children, including two newborns. An Air India spokesperson said: 'Air India stands in solidarity with the families and those affected by the AI171 accident. We continue to mourn the loss and are fully committed to providing support during this difficult time. We acknowledge receipt of the preliminary report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators… We continue to fully cooperate with the AAIB and other authorities as their investigation progresses.'
The airline said it could not comment on specific details due to the ongoing investigation.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

This spot is where you'll find the best fried chicken in the U.S.
This spot is where you'll find the best fried chicken in the U.S.

Time Out

time3 hours ago

  • Time Out

This spot is where you'll find the best fried chicken in the U.S.

All you vegetarians out there, scroll to another story. Because this one is about that first bite into a succulent piece of chicken, piping hot, embedded in its perfectly spiced, crispy golden coating. Your fingers will get greasy, you'll run through a dozen napkins, you'll get crumbs everywhere, but it's worth it, because a piece of fried chicken—if it's done right—can be a form of prayer to the barnyard gods. The best experience is in your own or someone else's kitchen, but if you have to find your chicken via fast food, the best place to go is Jollibee, according to USA Today 10 Best. The top 10 list of best fast food chicken spots was first selected by the paper's editors and dining experts, then put to readers to vote. It is giving us a literal understanding of the phrase winner, winner, chicken dinner. Jollibee, a fast food chain that started in the Philippines and now has 100 U.S. locations. The first one opened in Daly City, California, in 1998. Jollibee serves a lot of items off its menu and the standout is Chickenjoy, a marinated and hand-breaded fried chicken that comes with savory gravy on the side. As with most places, you can order it regular or spicy. For Filipinos, it's nostalgic food with much more juicy chicken than you find in other fast food places in the U.S. In second place is Pollo Campero, a Guatemalan company which began in 1971 and came to the U.S in 2002 with a location in Los Angeles. It's now grown to about 140 restaurants. Their fried chicken comes with either a dinner roll or tortillas, and the sides are better than the typical American French fries: you can order yuca fries, sweet plantains, or Campero beans made with ancho and chipotle peppers. The third-best fried chicken right now is Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken. This Ohio-based franchise offers honey-dipped hand-breaded chicken that is then pressure-fried. Southern-style sides include smoky green beans, baked beans and, of course, flaky biscuits. Of course, now that you've read this far, you're obliged to be dreaming of fried chicken so hot it almost burns your fingers and your tongue—we know we are. The top 10 best fast food fried chicken: 1. Jolliebee 2. Pollo Campero 3. Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken 4. Church's Texas Chicken 5. Guthrie's Chicken 6. Krispy Krunchy Chicken 7. Golden Chick 8. KFC –we knew we'd see you somewhere, old man chicken! 9. Chick-fil-A 10. Popeyes

Boeing 787 Dreamliner narrowly avoided crash after engine failure
Boeing 787 Dreamliner narrowly avoided crash after engine failure

Metro

time7 hours ago

  • Metro

Boeing 787 Dreamliner narrowly avoided crash after engine failure

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash nearly crashed just moments after taking off because of an engine failure. The United Airlines plane took off from Washington Dulles Airport bound for Munich on Friday but was forced to turn around just minutes into the flight. A 'Mayday' was declared by the crew at around 5,000 feet after a malfunction was reported in the aircraft's left engine. The crew on the plane were directed by air traffic control to a holding pattern northwest of Washington so that they could dump fuel. They asked the pilots: 'How long do you expect to hold, fuel, or just get set up there?' The pilot responded: 'We'll have to climb six [thousand feet] and adjust fuel.' The Dreamliner remained at around 6,000 feet for several minutes while it dumped the fuel. The pilot told air traffic control: 'We're dumping fuel at six thousand. We'll let you know when complete.' Luckily, the crew managed to land the plane safely back at Dulles Airport, and no injuries were reported, and all passengers disembarked safely. Because of engine failure, the plane had to be towed off the runway by the ground crew. Flight data shows that the aircraft's left engine failed while it was climbing after it departed. The aircraft is still grounded at the airport while engineers inspect the engine and the damage. Aviation authorities, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), are expected to investigate the incident. A United Airlines spokesperson told Metro: 'United flight 108 to Munich returned to Washington Dulles shortly after takeoff to address a mechanical issue. 'The plane landed safely, and all passengers deplaned normally at the gate. 'The flight was subsequently cancelled and we arranged alternate travel arrangements to take customers to their destination as soon as possible.' Boeing has been approached for comment. The safety model of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is currently under scrutiny because of the Air India crash last month. That incident involved both engines failing shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport. More Trending The tragic crash killed more than 260 people and the circumstances around it are still under investigation. Other problems with Boeing 787s have been reported this year, including an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 en route from Addis Ababa to Mumbai. It experienced a mid-air depressurisation event, prompting an emergency descent. Oxygen masks were deployed, and seven passengers needed medical attention when they landed in Mumbai. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Wizz Air launches 5 new Spanish routes from the UK – but not everyone is happy MORE: One of the world's highest volcanos erupts after 8.8-magnitude quake MORE: New York City skyscraper shooting victims identified: Everything we know

United plane forced to land minutes after takeoff over engine failure
United plane forced to land minutes after takeoff over engine failure

Daily Mail​

time7 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

United plane forced to land minutes after takeoff over engine failure

A transatlantic United Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was forced to return to the airport just moments after taking off after suffering a mid-air engine failure . Flight UA108, carrying 219 passengers and 11 crew members, departed Washington Dulles Airport at 5:40 p.m. on Friday, July 25, bound for Munich in Germany . But as the jet climbed through 5,000 feet, the left engine failed, prompting the pilots to declare a 'MAYDAY' and alert air traffic controllers. What followed was nearly three hours of tense aerial maneuvering. The crew entered a holding pattern northwest of Dulles, circling at 6,000 feet while dumping fuel to reduce the aircraft's landing weight. Throughout the emergency, the pilots worked closely with air traffic control to maintain safe separation from other aircraft and prepare for the return. Once the fuel dump was complete, the plane was cleared to land using an Instrument Landing System approach to Runway 19 Center. In a statement to the Independent , United Airlines confirmed the emergency, saying the aircraft returned to Dulles 'to address a mechanical issue.' A spokesperson added: 'The flight was subsequently cancelled, and we arranged alternate travel arrangements to take customers to their destination as soon as possible.' The airline declined to provide further details about the engine malfunction or confirm whether an investigation is underway. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority also confirmed the emergency landing, noting that the aircraft was met by fire and rescue crews and towed to a gate for inspection.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store