Air India CEO hits back after prelim report suggests deadly crash was caused by pilot error
Campbell Wilson issued an internal memo insisting the probe into the crash — which killed 241 people on board and another 19 on the ground — was 'far from over' as investigators zero in on why the plane's engine fuel cutoff switch was flipped just seconds after take off.
'Over the past 30 days, we've seen an ongoing cycle of theories, allegations, rumors and sensational headlines, many of which have later been disproven,' read the memo, which was acquired by the Wall Street Journal.
Advertisement
5 Campbell Wilson, CEO of of Air India, urged people not to jump to conclusions after a preliminary report into last month's crash found no mechanical issues.
Bloomberg via Getty Images
5 The Boeing 787 crashed seconds after take off on June 14, killing 260 people.
Getty Images
The memo came after a report investigators are also investigating the possibility that one of the pilots may have been suffering depression and other mental health issues.
India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) found that there was some confusion in the cockpit between the two pilots about the fuel switches, with one of the men asking the other why he apparently turned off the switch, according to recordings from inside the plane.
Advertisement
But the other pilot claimed he never touched the switch, with the men flipping it back on about 10 seconds later.
The fix, however, came too late, with the engines unable to fully restart and gain thrust fast enough, causing it to crash down into a residential area in Ahmedabad.
The cutoff switches are most often used to turn both engines off at once, either when a plane reaches the airport gate or during emergencies requiring a shutdown.
Advertisement
5 The plane saw its fuel cutoff switch briefly flipped off before the crash.
Newslions / SWNS
5 Burned wreckage of an Air India plane after a crash during takeoff.
REUTERS
The report did not reach any final conclusions on what happened with the switches or if they were turned off accidentally or intentionally.
Wilson appeared to defend the pilots — who were seasoned fliers with more than 19,000 combined miles under their belt — noting that they had taken all the appropriate steps before takeoff.
Advertisement
Wilson added that the pilots had both passed the mandatory preflight breathalyzer test and that 'there were no observations pertaining to their medical status,' according to the memo.
5 The pilots of the plane had thousands of hours of combined experience and followed all the protocols before takeoff, according to the probe.
REUTERS
Both black boxes for the doomed flight, which include the cockpit voice recorders and flight data, were recovered from the rubble a few days after the crash.
Going forward, the boxes will be used to help determine other possible factors that contributed to the crash.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
16 hours ago
- New York Post
Air India CEO hits back after prelim report suggests deadly crash was caused by pilot error
The CEO of Air India urged his staff to not jump to conclusions after a preliminary report over last month's deadly crash ruled out mechanical or maintenance issues, suggesting it may have been caused by pilot error. Campbell Wilson issued an internal memo insisting the probe into the crash — which killed 241 people on board and another 19 on the ground — was 'far from over' as investigators zero in on why the plane's engine fuel cutoff switch was flipped just seconds after take off. 'Over the past 30 days, we've seen an ongoing cycle of theories, allegations, rumors and sensational headlines, many of which have later been disproven,' read the memo, which was acquired by the Wall Street Journal. Advertisement 5 Campbell Wilson, CEO of of Air India, urged people not to jump to conclusions after a preliminary report into last month's crash found no mechanical issues. Bloomberg via Getty Images 5 The Boeing 787 crashed seconds after take off on June 14, killing 260 people. Getty Images The memo came after a report investigators are also investigating the possibility that one of the pilots may have been suffering depression and other mental health issues. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) found that there was some confusion in the cockpit between the two pilots about the fuel switches, with one of the men asking the other why he apparently turned off the switch, according to recordings from inside the plane. Advertisement But the other pilot claimed he never touched the switch, with the men flipping it back on about 10 seconds later. The fix, however, came too late, with the engines unable to fully restart and gain thrust fast enough, causing it to crash down into a residential area in Ahmedabad. The cutoff switches are most often used to turn both engines off at once, either when a plane reaches the airport gate or during emergencies requiring a shutdown. Advertisement 5 The plane saw its fuel cutoff switch briefly flipped off before the crash. Newslions / SWNS 5 Burned wreckage of an Air India plane after a crash during takeoff. REUTERS The report did not reach any final conclusions on what happened with the switches or if they were turned off accidentally or intentionally. Wilson appeared to defend the pilots — who were seasoned fliers with more than 19,000 combined miles under their belt — noting that they had taken all the appropriate steps before takeoff. Advertisement Wilson added that the pilots had both passed the mandatory preflight breathalyzer test and that 'there were no observations pertaining to their medical status,' according to the memo. 5 The pilots of the plane had thousands of hours of combined experience and followed all the protocols before takeoff, according to the probe. REUTERS Both black boxes for the doomed flight, which include the cockpit voice recorders and flight data, were recovered from the rubble a few days after the crash. Going forward, the boxes will be used to help determine other possible factors that contributed to the crash.
New York Post
16 hours ago
- New York Post
Doomed Air India pilot's medical records probed amid reports of depression, other mental health struggles
Medical records for an Air India pilot killed in last month's crash are reportedly now being reviewed by investigators amid reports he'd been suffering from depression and other mental health issues. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 56, was the lead pilot when the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner went down in Ahmedabad on June 12 — killing 241 people on board and leaving just one sole survivor. Sabharwal, who had more than 15,000 flying hours under his belt at the time of the tragedy, had taken medical leave in recent years due to apparent mental health woes, The Telegraph reported. Advertisement 5 Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the lead pilot of the doomed flight. Family handout 5 A view shows the wreckage of an Air India aircraft, bound for London's Gatwick Airport, which crashed during take-off from an airport in Ahmedabad, India June 12, 2025. REUTERS 'I have heard from several Air India pilots who told me he had some depression and mental health issues,' Mohan Ranganathan, a leading Indian aviation safety expert, said. 'He had taken time off from flying in the last three to four years. He had taken medical leave for that.' Advertisement Sabharwal had also taken bereavement leave following the 2022 death of his mom and had recently been weighing retirement to care for his aging father. The pilot, who underwent a medical exam in September last year, would have been given clearance to return to work, Ranganathan said. 5 Thick black smoke rising from a residential area after Air India flight 171 crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025. AFP via Getty Images 5 Crew clean up at the scene of the crash. Saurabh Sirohiya/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Advertisement 5 Getty Images 'He must have been medically cleared by the company [Air India] doctors. They must have given the clearance certificate,' he said. It comes after the preliminary report into the tragedy found that the jet's engine fuel cutoff switch had been flipped just three seconds after taking off.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Air India CEO says investigation into Ahmedabad crash raises new questions
By Aditya Kalra and Chandini Monnappa NEW DELHI (Reuters) -A preliminary investigation into the crash of an Air India passenger jet last month that killed 260 people raises additional questions about the incident and the investigation is far from over, Air India's CEO said in a memo on Monday. The preliminary investigation released by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau on Saturday depicted confusion in the cockpit shortly before the crash of the Boeing Dreamliner. In a staff memo reviewed by Reuters, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the report had "triggered a new round of speculation in the media ... Unsurprisingly, it provided both greater clarity and opened additional questions." He added: "The preliminary report identified no cause nor made any recommendations, so I urge everyone to avoid drawing premature conclusions as the investigation is far from over." The memo said the preliminary report found no mechanical or maintenance faults and that all required maintenance had been carried out. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London from the Indian city of Ahmedabad began to lose thrust and sink shortly after takeoff. All but one of the 242 people on board and 19 others on the ground were killed. According to the AAIB report, in the flight's final moments one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel. "The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report said. It added that the plane's engine two fuel cutoff switches flipped almost simultaneously, but did not say how. The preliminary report suggested no immediate action for Boeing or GE, whose engines were fitted on the aircraft. ALPA India, which represents Indian pilots at the Montreal-based International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, has rejected any presumption of pilot error and called for a "fair, fact-based inquiry". "The pilots had passed their mandatory pre-flight breathalyser and there were no observations pertaining to their medical status," Campbell said in his memo. The commanding pilot of the Air India plane was Sumeet Sabharwal, 56, who had a total flying experience of 15,638 hours and, according to the Indian government, was also an Air India instructor. His co-pilot was Clive Kunder, 32, who had 3,403 hours of total experience. Air India has come under heightened scrutiny on multiple fronts following the crash. On July 4, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it would investigate budget unit Air India Express, after a Reuters report revealed the airline failed to promptly replace engine parts on an Airbus A320 as mandated, and falsified records to indicate compliance.
