Air India pilot's mistake uncovered in report 'couldn't have been accident'
A preliminary report into the crash, that killed 241 onboard the flight, claimed the fuel switches to the engine were reportedly cut off prior to the tragic air disaster. An expert has since claimed these switches are the kind used on every flight, and designed so that this cannot easily "accidentally" happen. The London Gatwick-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a medical college shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport on June 12.
A preliminary report from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, published on Friday, said both of the plane's fuel switches moved to the "cut-off" position "immediately" after take-off, stopping fuel supply to the engine. This report said: "In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut-off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so."
The switches were then returned to their normal inflight position, which triggered an automatic engine relight and a thrust recovery procedure. While the engines started to recover, one of the pilots transmitted a "mayday, mayday, mayday" message before the plane was seen by air traffic control to crash outside the airport.
Aviation expert Professor Graham Braithwaite, at Cranfield University, said these fuel switches are used at the end of every flight and in emergency scenarios such as a fire. They are designed so they cannot easily be "accidentally" turned off and pilots would generally run through a checklist before doing so, he added.
The professor said: "For obvious reasons, the two switches are a distance apart, so not a huge distance, but enough that you couldn't accidentally switch two when you're trying to switch one.
"So it's not like the lights in your house, where they're right next to each other, so there is some space between them. They're in that centre console, so that's in between the two pilots, so they can each reach them with the same ease."
Professor Braithwaite said if the switch had been touched by a person at below 1,000 feet, it would have been a "very unusual thing to do". He said: "It's not the point of flight where you try and call for your coffee, it's a period of flight where your focus is very, very clear, and that first 1,000 feet, it's about keeping the airplane climbing and that's not about clicking switches."
The professor added: "I could see why a nervous flyer would be nervous at the thought that it's possible to shut both engines down at a critical stage in flight, but for whatever reason, and that there are a number of things that are in place to stop it from accidentally happening."
The doomed aircraft was around 11 years old, the fuel switches had been changed two years ago, and the crash was a "really, really unusual event", according to Professor Braithwaite. Of the next stage of the investigation, he said: "If somebody did wilfully move a switch, then was it on the one hand a wilful active sabotage, in which case the investigation changes considerably, because this safety investigation that published the report yesterday will not be leading on that, that would be a police investigation.
"So that would change at that point, but if it wasn't clear that it was that wilful action, you'd be looking at, well, what kind of mistake might somebody have made?"
If the final investigation takes more than a year to complete, an interim report would be issued on the anniversary of the crash, Professor Braithwaite said, adding that interim recommendations could be made at any time. The preliminary report said all crew members had been breathalysed on their arrival at Ahmedabad airport, and found they were "fit to operate the flight".
No significant bird activity was spotted near the flight path and the aircraft started to lose altitude before crossing the airport perimeter wall. Both engines were retrieved from the wreckage and quarantined at a hangar in the nearby airport. Investigators have identified "components of interest for further examinations", the report says.
An Air India spokesman 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."
The spokesman added: "Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. We continue to fully co-operate with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and other authorities as their investigation progresses. Given the active nature of the investigation, we are unable to comment on specific details and refer all such inquiries to the AAIB."
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The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
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The Irish Sun
a day ago
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The Irish Sun
3 days ago
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He suggested He told Piers Morgan Uncensored: 'I really firmly believe that there had to be a human hand on both of those for them to go to cut off." The switches - guarded and located between the pilots - require deliberate action to move. Accidental flicking is virtually impossible. Key findings of the report: Dual engine shutdown - 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' RAT deployed - as seen in CCTV footage before the crash Engine relight attempted - fuel switches were found returned to the "RUN" at crash site 32 seconds - 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 Fuel test pass - fuel was clean without any contamination Normal take-off set-up - Flaps and landing gear correctly configured No bird activity - clear skies, good visibility, light winds Pilot credentials clear - both medically fit and rested No sabotage detected - although FAA alerted over a known fuel switch vulnerability not checked by Air India Aircraft loading - the flight was within weight and balance limits Scheibner said the offs of a dual engine flameout on a Boeing 787 seconds after takeoff were "two and a half billion to one". "Everything just seems unbelievable," he added. 'When you place both fuel cutoff switches to cut off, that will fuel-starve the engines and they'll both flame out. 'There is no universe where there's any procedure ever in the history of commercial flight where you place both fuel control switches to cut off, leave them there for 10 seconds, right after rotate.' Former pilot 'I can't see why any pilot would have their hands anywhere near the area where these switches are located.' Who was Sumeet Sabharwal? Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was no novice. With over 15,000 flying hours — more than 8,000 on the Dreamliner — he had long been considered steady and reliable. Friends described him as soft-spoken, precise, even minimalist. 'He was a very reserved guy right from the beginning,' said fellow pilot Kapil Kohal. Known as 'Sad Sack' in flight school for his solemn demeanor, Sabharwal lived simply. Two shirts, two shoes, one bag. 'He was a middle-class boy looking at the sky and saying, 'I want to be there,'' Kohal said. But in recent years, Sabharwal had faced personal struggles. He was reportedly just Some aviation sources told The Telegraph he had taken time off in past years for mental health issues. Though he passed a Class I medical exam in September 2024, investigators are now combing through his records. 10 Captain Steve Scheibner believes the Air India crash may have been a result of a human act inside the cockpit, not an accident Credit: Piers Morgan Uncensored 10 Landing gear of the Air India plane crashed directly on the BJ Medical College UG hostel mess Credit: Getty 10 The Boeing 787 Dreamliner plummeted into a doctors' hostel Investigation intensifies US officials believe the crash may warrant a criminal investigation — something that would be automatic if the tragedy had happened on American soil. In similar cases, the FBI would be brought in to assess whether a deliberate act had occurred. Jennifer Homendy, chair of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), has been fully briefed on the cockpit recordings and flight data, and is pushing for clarity. Her priority, she said, is 'to quickly determine whether the crash presented any immediate safety concerns to the travelling public.' So far, Boeing, GE Aerospace, and the FAA have issued no warnings or directives following the crash. The Air India's CEO Campbell Wilson has urged staff not to jump to conclusions. 'The preliminary report identified no cause nor made any recommendations,' he said. 'It provided both greater clarity and opened additional questions.' Indian authorities, meanwhile, have declined to comment on the American reports. A Ministry of Civil Aviation press officer dismissed the Wall Street Journal's reporting as 'one-sided.' You're Not Alone EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers. It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes. And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women. Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now. That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign. The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives. Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support: CALM, Heads Together, HUMEN Mind, Papyrus, Samaritans,
