Air India crash victims' families not satisfied with ‘vague' initial report
The 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 takeoff, stopping fuel supply to the engines.
'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 report reads.
The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a medical college shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport on 12 June, killing 241 people on board.
Another 19 people died on the ground and 67 were seriously injured.
The cousin of sisters Dhir and Heer Baxi, who were flying home to London after surprising their grandmother for her birthday and died in the crash, said he was not satisfied by the report.
Ishan Baxi, who lives in Ahmedabad, 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.
'More than anything, it should push for real changes so this never happens again.'
Relatives of Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa Vorajee and their four-year-old daughter Sara Nanabawa, who died in the crash, said in a statement that the report was 'the first stepping stone' and that the family were still 'working our way through the weight of our loss'.
'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.
'We accept God's fate, but knowing what happened will help ease our hearts and allow us to begin the long journey of healing.
'Above all, we hope that by pursuing the truth, no other family will ever have to endure the shock, uncertainty, and profound sorrow that we have lived through this past month.'
A lawyer advising some of the families affected by the crash said the findings were deeply concerning.
Demetrius Danas, an aviation lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: 'We're continuing to speak with and advise families who've been affected by the Air India crash.
'Understandably, all they want is to be provided with answers.'
Fifty-two British nationals were killed, making it one of the deadliest plane crashes in terms of the number of British fatalities.
The preliminary report says all crew members were breathalysed on their arrival at Ahmedabad airport and found to be 'fit to operate the flight'.
No significant bird activity was detected near the flight path and the aircraft started to lose altitude before crossing the airport perimeter wall.
Investigators have identified 'components of interest for further examinations', the report says.
Fuel samples taken from tanks used to refuel the aircraft were 'satisfactory'.
The UK transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, said on Sunday that she had confidence in the investigation. 'We stand ready to assist the Indian authorities if they require that from us,' she said.
Asked whether she thought Indian authorities were doing a good job getting to the bottom of the causes of the crash, she said: 'On the basis of what I have seen so far, yes, but we do stand ready to provide any assistance. The US National Transportation Safety Board is also involved on an ongoing basis.'
An Air India spokesperson said: 'Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. We continue to fully cooperate with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and other authorities as their investigation progresses.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
38 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Air India pilots' medical records are being examined over mental health fears after report reveals fuel switches 'were turned off in cockpit'
Investigations into the Air India plane crash are looking into the pilots' medical records as it's claimed one of them had depression and mental health issues. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, an experienced pilot with more than 8,200 hours in the cockpit, was piloting the Boeing 787 Dreamliner when it plummeted into a residential area, called Meghani Nagar, killing 241 people on board and claiming 19 more lives of those on the ground. Seconds after taking off on June 12, two fuel switches in the cockpit of Air India Flight 171 were turned off shortly after take off, resulting in a catastrophic loss of power and the aircraft crashing to the ground. The switches' 'locking feature' meant pilots had to lift them up before changing their position, they are not simple push buttons which can be accidentally turned off. Now, investigations into the tragic crash have begun to analyse the behaviour of the pilot. Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a leading aviation safety expert in India, has revealed that 'several' Air India pilots had allegedly confirmed that the well-experienced pilot had suffered from poor mental health. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, he claimed: 'He had taken time off from flying in the last three to four years. He had taken medical leave for that. Captain Sabharwal is also understood to have taken bereavement leave after the death of his mother, though it is believed by Mr Ranganathan that he had been 'medically cleared' by Air India prior to the fatal crash last month. In Powai, Mumbai, one of Captain Sabharwal's former colleagues described him as a 'thorough gentlemen' telling the publication that he believed 'he was actually considering early retirement in the next couple of years', with plans to look after his elderly father, aged 90. In his short career, co-pilot Clive Kunder, 28, had logged more than 3,400 hours. The Telegraph said that while Air India declined to comment, an official working with their parent company, Tata Group, told the publication that Captain Sabharwal had not taken any medical leave, with the preliminary report failing to obtain any significant findings. They added that within the last two years, both pilots onboard the flight had passed the Class I medical exam, which makes an evaluation of their psycho-physical capabilities. 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 catastrophic mistake. The 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.' Pilots will turn the fuel switches on and off at the correct times in every flight, but this time the fuel was cut off straight after takeoff and the landing gear was not raised. The co-pilot was flying the aircraft at the time of takeoff while the captain was monitoring. The report added that the switches were flipped back to 'run' seconds afterwards, which started the process of relighting the engines. The plane momentarily disappeared from view behind trees and buildings before a massive fireball erupted on the horizon in this horrifying clip One of the engines had relit but had not gained power while the other was in the process of regaining power. At the crash site, but switches were found in the 'run' position. Before the flight, both pilots had an adequate rest period and were found 'fit to operate' following a breath analyser test, the report said. There were no dangerous goods on the plane and the weight was 'within allowable limits'. Fuel samples taken from the tanks were tested and found to be 'satisfactory' and there was 'no significant bird activity' observed in and around the flight path of the aircraft. But Mr Ranganthan previously suggested it may have been deliberate. Each lever has to be pulled upwards to be unlocked, before it can be flipped and they also have further protective guard brackets to safeguard against any bumps and nudges. Explaining that he believed it 'had to be done manually', Mr Ranganathan told NDTV of the fuel levers: '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 later said 'nothing else' would explain why both switches were moved into the off position just after take off, alleging: 'It had to be deliberately done.' When questioned if he was suggesting one of the pilots 'deliberately' switched off the fuel lever, while fully aware of the possibility of a crash, he answered: 'Absolutely', before asserting they were looking at a potential 'pilot-induced crash'. But relatives of some of the victims of the crash have accused the airline and the Indian government of trying to blame the pilots for the crash. Ameen Siddiqui, 28, whose brother-in-law, Akeel Nanabawa, died alongside his wife and their four-year-old daughter said: 'This report is wrong. We don't accept it.' 'It's a cover-up to protect Air India and the government,' Mr Siddiqui told The Telegraph from Surat, south of Ahmedabad, where the plane crashed. 'They want to blame dead pilots who can't defend themselves. How can the fuel switches end up turning off at a critical moment, either through pilot error or a mechanical fault? CCTV footage from the airport showed that the ram air turbine, known as the RAT, was deployed shortly after takeoff. The RAT acts as a backup power source during emergencies and will deploy in cases of complete power failure. The report said two minutes after takeoff, one of the pilots transmitted: 'Mayday, Mayday, Mayday'. 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'. 'If the locking feature is disengaged, the switch can be moved between the two positions without lifting the switch during transition, and the switch would be exposed to the potential of inadvertent operation,' the FAA warned in a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin. 'Inadvertent operation of the switch could result in an unintended consequence, such as an in-flight engine shutdown.' It recommended airlines inspect the switches, including 'whether the fuel control switch can be moved between the two positions without lifting up the switch'. The airworthiness concern was not considered an unsafe condition that would warrant a legally enforceable regulation to correct unsafe conditions. Air India has suggested such inspections were not carried out because the FAA's bulletin was 'advisory and not mandatory'. Sole survivor Vishwash Kumar Ramesh had been in the country on a business trip with his brother Ajaykumar, 35, before they boarded the doomed flight travelling from Ahmedabad to Gatwick on Thursday. In what has been described as a miracle, Viswash - seated in 11A by the exit - survived, but his sibling who was sat on the other side of the aisle in seat 11J perished in the fireball explosion. Before the discovery of the British survivor, authorities said that they believed no one had escaped the flight alive. Eleven of those on board were children, including two newborns. An Air India spokesperson previously 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 (AAIB) today, 12 July 2025. 'Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. We continue to fully cooperate with the 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 enquiries to the AAIB.'
Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Telegraph
Air India pilot's medical records examined after mental health claims
Air India crash investigators are examining the medical records of the pilot whose plane crashed in Ahmedabad amid claims that he suffered from depression and mental health problems. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was 56, was months from retirement but had been considering leaving the airline to look after his elderly father following the death of his mother in 2022, The Telegraph can reveal. The pilot, who had more than 15,000 flying hours to his name, last undertook a Class I medical exam on Sept 5 last year. His records have been handed to investigators, whose initial report said their focus was on the actions of the pilots rather than a technical fault with the plane. The Airline Pilots' Association of India said it rejected the 'tone and direction' of the inquiry. Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a leading aviation safety expert in India, told The Telegraph: '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. He had taken medical leave for that.' The Telegraph understands that Captain Sabharwal took bereavement leave following the death of his mother. However, Mr Ranganathan said: 'He must have been medically cleared by the company [Air India] doctors. They must have given the clearance certificate.' All but one of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner were killed when the aircraft plunged into a medical student hostel last month, less than a minute after take-off from Ahmedabad airport. The preliminary report released by the Indian authorities early on Saturday indicated that switches controlling fuel flow to the jet's two engines were turned off, leading to a catastrophic loss of thrust at take-off. According to the report, one of the pilots is heard in the recovered cockpit voice recording asking the other why he cut off the fuel supply. The other pilot responds that he did not. It is not known who said what. While the initial report did not draw any conclusion, it has drawn attention to the actions of Captain Sabharwal, the plane's captain, and Clive Kundar, the First Officer. As per cockpit procedures, the pilot flying and in control of the take-off was First Officer Kundar, who would have had both hands on the control column during take-off. Captain Sabharwal, the pilot monitoring, would have had his hands free, leaving him in a position to cut off the fuel supply, Mr Ranganathan claimed. He joined Air India in 1994, building a record of more than 8,000 flying hours on this type of aircraft. After his mother's death, he moved from Delhi to Mumbai to care for his father, even considering leaving the airline altogether to devote himself fully to his family. Neighbours in Powai, Mumbai, remembered him as a quiet man who was often seen escorting his father on evening walks. 'He was a doting son who never missed a chance to take his father down for fresh air,' said one. Neil Pais, a former colleague, said the pilot was a 'thorough gentleman', telling The Telegraph: 'He was actually considering early retirement in the next couple of years. His father is very old, 90, and he was going to look after him full time. That was the plan. 'We're all human beings. Yes, there have been crew who've displayed tendencies towards mental health issues, and they've been grounded straight away. It's not allowed to go unchecked. 'Often it's more about life outside the job, which of course plays a part in how you perform. But if there's a concern, it's taken up by operations, by the right departments. They don't let anyone fly if there's any doubt.' Savitri Budhania, an elderly neighbour of Captain Sabharwal in Mumbai, said: 'I told him, 'Your father is too old to be alone.' And he replied, 'Just one or two more flights… then I'm going to just be with Papa.'' 'Who could have known that would be the last time? Whenever he wasn't flying, he would walk hand in hand with his father in the evenings. They smiled at everyone, just gentle, quiet people.' Air India declined to comment, but an official working with the Tata Group, the airline's parent company, told The Telegraph that Captain Sabharwal had not taken recent medical leave. 'He did take bereavement leave in 2022 following his mother's death, and his medical records were submitted as part of the investigation, and the preliminary report did not find anything noteworthy,' he said. Both pilots had passed the Class I medical exam, which evaluates a pilot's psycho-physical capacity, within the last two years. First Officer Kunder, 28, came from a family steeped in aviation. His mother was a flight crew member, and he began his professional career with an aircraft maintenance course at Mumbai's Bombay Flying Club before moving into the cockpit. Raised in Air India's colony at Kalina before the family moved to Borivali, he had logged 1,100 flying hours early in his career. Relatives and friends of the victims called the report's findings a 'slap in the face' and questioned how 'something so trivial as a simple switch being deactivated' had caused such a catastrophe. The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association said the crew of flight 171 had acted in line with their training and responsibilities under challenging conditions. It strongly rejected insinuations of malpractice, saying it was deeply disturbed by the speculation.
Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Telegraph
There are still unanswered questions about Air India flight 171
What happened to Air India flight 171? The Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick crashed just seconds after taking off last month, killing 260 people. The weather was good, there was no bird strike and no obvious reason why the plane should lose power and plunge to the ground in the city of Ahmedabad. Air-accident investigators have now published an interim report that raises more questions than it answers. They claim to have found that the Dreamliner's fuel-control switches abruptly moved to the 'cut-off' position, starving the engines of fuel and triggering total power loss. Such a move is typically done only after landing. The report states that the cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot asking the other why he 'did the cut-off', to which the person replies that he didn't. Who said what to whom is not clear. To say this is not satisfactory is an understatement. Not only has it left the bereaved families of passengers, crew and those killed on the ground none the wiser, it has not removed concerns about a technical fault. Such a finding would clearly have huge implications for airlines. We are invited to infer that this was either a human error or a deliberate act. Unfortunately it would not be the first time a suicidal pilot has taken hundreds of innocent lives along with his own. But the report also reveals that in 2018, the US Federal Aviation Administration issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) highlighting that some Boeing 737 fuel control switches were installed with the locking feature disengaged. While the issue was noted, it wasn't deemed an unsafe condition requiring an Airworthiness Directive (AD) – a legally enforceable regulation to correct unsafe conditions. The same switch design is used in Boeing 787-8 aircraft, including Air India's VT-ANB which crashed. As the SAIB was advisory, Air India did not perform the inspections. Investigators must follow up as a matter of urgency and not be side-tracked by suspicions of pilot error. It may well turn out to have been the latter, or worse; but the revelation that an advisory notice was issued about fuel switches is of concern whether or not it turns out to have been the cause of this particular crash. Routinely checking these switches should be made mandatory. Flying remains the safest form of travel but it relies on airlines and manufacturers taking all such issues seriously and responding openly. The trust of millions of passengers depends on it.
