Air India pilot's mental health probed and medical records seized after fuel turned off in cockpit killing 260
Preliminary report into the fatal crash found the plane's fuel switches were cut off, which led to a catastrophic loss of thrust during the initial take-off.
9
9
9
9
The Air India flight bound to London Gatwick was led by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was reportedly just months away from retirement.
But the pilot had been considering leaving the airlines early to look after his elderly father, The Telegraph revealed.
A leading aviation expert in India told the media outlet that Captain Sabharwal reportedly 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."
Although Mr Ranganathan added that Captain Sabharwal "must have been medically cleared by the company [Air India] doctors" before flying.
He 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.
Second-by-second breakdown of Air India jet disaster from mayday call to horror crash – all within a minute of takeoff
They have dubbed the investigation "biased" and said it only appears to "blame the dead pilots".
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.
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
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."
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."
Flipping the switches to cut off almost immediately cuts the fuel supply to the engines.
It is most often used to turn engines off once a plane has arrived at its airport gate and in certain emergency situations, such as an engine fire.
But the inconclusive report, which came after 30 days of the crash, does not indicate that the flight encountered any such emergency situation.
9
9
9
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.
Experts have said a pilot would not be able to accidentally move the fuel switches.
"If they were moved because of a pilot, why?" asked U.S. aviation safety expert Anthony Brickhouse.
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.
9
9
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Doctors striking without warning ‘shockingly irresponsible', says Streeting
Doctors striking without informing their NHS trusts would be 'unconscionable', the health secretary has warned in advance of a meeting with the British Medical Association (BMA). Wes Streeting said that if it goes ahead, the strike would be a 'catastrophic mistake' and that any decision by resident doctors not to tell their employers about their intention to strike would be 'shockingly irresponsible'. Streeting told MPs that BMA leaders seemed to be telling their members 'not to inform their trusts or their employers if they're going out on strike' and that he could not fathom 'how any doctor in good conscience would make it harder for managers to make sure we have safe staffing levels'. Streeting is due to meet representatives of the BMA on Tuesday ahead of their planned five-day strike starting on 25 July. Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, voted to take the action in pursuit of a 29% pay rise that the union has said was needed to replace lost pay over years of cuts. Labour has offered resident doctors a 5.4% pay rise this year, after a 22% rise agreed for the previous two years. Speaking at the health and social care select committee on Monday, Streeting said that 'going on strike having received a 28.9% pay increase is not only unreasonable and unnecessary given the progress that we've been making on pay and other issues, it's also self-defeating'. The figure is based on government calculations that resident doctors have received a 28.9% pay rise over the last three years. Streeting said there was 'no more room for manoeuvre' on residents doctors' pay but that he was willing to engage on several other union demands including on unemployment and progression into speciality posts. He warned that any decision by resident doctors not to inform their trusts that they will strike 'would make it harder for other staff who are going to be turning up to work that day, not least the staff who have not had a higher percentage pay rise, many of whom are paid less than resident doctors'. Streeting warned that while he accepted doctors' right to strike, the 'idea that doctors would go on strike without informing their employer, not allowing planning for safe staffing, I think, is unconscionable, and I would urge resident doctors who are taking part in strike actions to do the right thing'. He warned the strike would lead to cancellations and delays in patient treatment, and spoke of a family member who was waiting for the 'inevitable' phone call informing them that their procedure would be postponed. 'We can mitigate against the impact of strikes, and we will, but what we cannot do is promise that there will be no consequence and no delay, no further suffering, because there are lots of people whose procedures are scheduled over that weekend period and in the period subsequently, where the NHS has to recover from the industrial action, who will see their operations and appointments delayed,' he said. 'I have a relative in that position. My family are currently dreading what I fear is an inevitable phone call saying that there is going to be a delay to this procedure. And I just think this is an unconscionable thing to do to the public, not least given the 28.9% pay rise.' The BMA defended resident doctors' pay claim on Monday, saying they did not work through the Covid pandemic only to end up with a real-terms pay cut. 'We are still down compared to even the pandemic in 2020,' Emma Runswick, a resident doctor in Greater Manchester and deputy chair of the BMA council, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Resident doctors acting in ‘unconscionable way' over strikes
The Health Secretary has said a member of his own family is waiting for an 'inevitable' phone call to tell them their NHS procedure has been postponed as a result of planned resident doctor strike action. Wes Streeting also said the British Medical Association (BMA) is acting in an 'unconscionable' way by telling members not to tell their employers if they are planning to strike. Mr Streeting said he 'cannot fathom' why 'any doctor in good conscience would make it harder for managers to make sure we have safe staffing levels'. And the Cabinet minister said that he does not see a 'reasonable trade union partner' in the Resident Doctors Committee (RDC) of the BMA 'at this time'. The comments come ahead of crunch talks between the union and the Government this week. Ministers have said they will not budge on pay but are willing to discuss other issues facing resident doctors. The BMA announced last week that resident doctors – formerly known as junior doctors – in England would walk out for five consecutive days from 7am on July 25 amid an ongoing pay dispute with the Government. 'We can mitigate against the impact of strikes, and we will, but what we cannot do is promise that there will be no consequence and no delay, no further suffering, because there are lots of people whose procedures are scheduled over that weekend period and in the period subsequently, where the NHS has to recover from the industrial action, who will see their operations and appointments delayed,' Mr Streeting told the House of Commons' Health and Social Care Committee. 'I have a relative in that position. 'My family are currently dreading what I fear is an inevitable phone call saying that there is going to be a delay to this procedure. 'And I just think this is an unconscionable thing to do to the public, not least given the 28.9% pay rise.' He went on: 'The other thing that I have found actually shockingly irresponsible about the BMA's position is their leaders seem to be telling their members not to inform their trusts or their employers if they're going out on strike. 'Now, I might not agree with the BMA strike action, but I do accept they have a right to strike. 'I do accept they follow the rules in order to go on strike. 'What I cannot fathom is how any doctor in good conscience would make it harder for managers to make sure we have safe staffing levels. 'So I just think the sort of the BMA's approach to this from start to finish has been completely wrong.' The Health Secretary added: 'And the idea that doctors would go on strike without informing their employer, not allowing planning for safe staffing, I think, is unconscionable, and I would urge resident doctors who are taking part in strike actions, do the right thing.' Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: 'It is correct that under current legislation a member of a union does not need to tell their employer if they are going to take strike action. 'But given the huge disruption and harm to patients caused by strikes we'd encourage doctors to help minimise the risk and help hospitals plan with the best information. Surely patients must come first.' Mr Streeting also said he was 'pleased' the BMA had taken up the offer of a meeting this week 'to see if we can avert strike action'. But he also told the committee there is 'no room for manoeuvre' on pay and that talks would focus on other ways to improve the working lives of resident doctors. 'I think it would be a catastrophic mistake for the BMA to throw all of that progress into reverse by walking out on strike,' Mr Streeting added. The Health Secretary said that resident doctors had 'chosen confrontation', and told MPs: 'I don't see a reasonable trade union partner in the RDC section of the BMA at this time.' He added: 'I do regret that they are in danger of squandering the opportunity of partnership in favour of a more adversarial approach, which is unnecessary and I fear will prove self-defeating, because if these strikes go ahead with the financial costs that are entailed, not to mention the misery inflicted on patients, we have to find that money from somewhere, and that will come at the expense of things that they value.' Mr Streeting said he was 'proud of the deal' struck with the BMA last year to end the previous tranche of walkouts. Meanwhile, NHS England boss Sir Jim Mackey told the committee: 'Everybody respects the right to strike, but this is hugely disruptive, much more disruptive than we've been able to describe so far.' He added: 'A lot of this narrow definition about what's 'technically necessary', I don't accept – it's not that straightforward and we won't be accepting that kind of process this time. 'So I really hope that this is avoidable, but we also can't allow this to play out in a way that it did last time, with a huge impact on people's lives, colleagues working in the service, a cancellation and a disruption of clinical pathways. 'There's a whole range of other disruption that comes with this that we must avoid at all costs.' The union has said that resident doctors need a pay uplift of 29.2% to reverse 'pay erosion' since 2008/09. In September, BMA members voted to accept a Government pay deal worth 22.3% on average over two years. The 2025/26 pay deal saw resident doctors given a 4% uplift plus £750 'on a consolidated basis' – working out as an average pay rise of 5.4%.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Wes Streeting says 'irresponsible' junior doctors' leaders hindering care plan for sickest during NHS strike and reveals he has relative fearing op axe
Wes Streeting lashed out at 'shockingly irresponsible' junior doctor's leaders today for telling medics they should not help NHS hospitals plan safe levels of care for when they are on strike. The Health Secretary accused the The British Medical Association of telling members not to inform employers if they were taking part in a planned five-day walkout that starts next week. The BMA has vowed to maintain safe levels of cover for emergency and maternity care from July 25. But Mr Streeting said their actions meant it would be harder for it to be done, and called for doctors to ignore them. Appearing before the Health and Social Care committee today he also revealed one of his relatives is among thousands who fear they will have an operation cancelled by the proposed industrial action. Mr Streeting told MPs that while he accepted the doctors had a right to strike 'I cannot fathom is how any doctor in good conscience would make it harder for managers to make sure we have safe staffing levels'. 'It would make it harder for other staff who are going to be turning up to work that day, not least the staff who have not had a higher percentage pay rise, many of whom are paid less than resident doctors, he added. Mr Streeting will hold talks with the BMA this week in the hope of averting the walk out over a demand for a 29 per cent pay rise. The government has said there is no money left for another pay rise but has left the door open to making changes to the way doctors work. This morning a self-confessed 'leftwing' doctor's leader warned only emergency care would be covered if medics walk out on strike for five days next week, putting thousands of routine operations at risk. Dr Emma Runswick, deputy chairwoman of the BMA, said that resident doctors were not seeking to 'bring the NHS to its knees' with their latest walk-out in search of an eye-watering 29 per cent pay rise. But she admitted that only emergency and maternity care would continue if they go ahead with five consecutive days of strikes starting at 7am on July 25. This afternoon Mr Streeting told MPs a member of his own family is waiting for an 'inevitable' phone call to tell them their NHS procedure has been postponed as a result of planned resident doctor strike action. He told the Health and Social Care Committee: 'We can mitigate against the impact strikes, and we will, but what we cannot do is promise that there will be no consequence and no delay, no further suffering, because there are lots of people whose procedures are scheduled over that weekend period and in the period subsequently, where the NHS has to recover from the industrial action, who will see their operations and appointments delayed. 'I have a relative in that position. 'My family are currently dreading, what I fear is an inevitable phone call saying that there is going to be a delay to this procedure. 'And I just think this is an unconscionable thing to do to the public, not least given the 28.9 per cent pay rise.' Ministers and distinguished medics have critiscised the decision, coming at a time when billions is being ploughed into the NHS in a bid to clear backlogs and improve patient care. IVF pioneer, Professor Robert Winston, resigned from the BMA last week, saying the strike could cause 'long-term damage' to people's faith in doctors. Appearing on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Dr Runswick was asked is she was a 'militant leftie'. 'Oh yeah I am leftwing but that doesn't necessarily reflect the variety of views that that doctors have,' she said. She also complained that some specialist residents were only being paid £34 per hour, adding: 'You would pay a plumber more.' Mr Streeting is sympathetic to improving working conditions for doctors, but will not budge on salaries. Today he said he was 'pleased' that resident doctors have agreed to 'sit down and talk to try and avert these strikes'. But he stressed that the Government has been 'really clear' that it will not 'reopen this year's pay award'. Lord Winston quit his membership following the strike announcement, writing in The Times: 'I've paid my membership for a long time. I feel very strongly that this isn't the time to be striking. 'I think that the country is really struggling in all sorts of ways, people are struggling in all sorts of ways. 'Strike action completely ignores the vulnerability of people in front of you.' A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said: 'The BMA have accepted the Health Secretary's offer to meet and we expect that to happen this week.' Some 90 per cent of voting resident doctors backed the strike action, with the BMA reporting a turnout of 55 per cent. The union has said that resident doctors need a pay uplift of 29.2 per cent to reverse 'pay erosion' since 2008-09. In September, BMA members voted to accept a government pay deal worth 22.3 per cent on average over two years. The 2025-26 pay deal saw resident doctors given a 4 per cent uplift plus £750 'on a consolidated basis' – working out as an average pay rise of 5.4 per cent. The BMA call for a 29.2 per cent uplift is based on Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation, the measure of average changes in the price of goods and services used by most households. Mr Streeting has said that the 'majority' of BMA resident doctors – formerly known as junior doctors – did not vote to strike and has called the forthcoming action 'completely unreasonable'. However Labour has also been accused of crying 'crocodile tears' - as it prepares to make walkouts even easier. Angela Rayner 's radical workers' rights Bill will soon scrap the 50 per cent turnout threshold which unions must meet to hold legal strike action. Last night Conservative business spokesman Andrew Griffith told the Mail the Government's comments were 'totally hypocritical'. He said: 'The unions are already licking their lips at the Employment Bill, which will unleash waves of low threshold strikes. By reducing the turnout required to trigger a strike, Labour are guaranteeing even more strikes. They are effectively giving unions the whip hand at the worst possible time.
