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
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Air India captain in mental health probe ‘stayed calm while he deliberately cut off fuel switch sparking copilot panic'
THE captain of the tragic Air India flight reportedly stayed calm as he deliberately cut off fuel to both engines seconds after takeoff, US officials said. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal — the 56-year-old veteran at the controls of 10 Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was the lead pilot in the doomed Air India flight 10 A firefighter stands next to the crashed Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, in Ahmedabad, India Credit: Reuters 10 A cockpit view of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft shows the fuel switch; Annotations by The Sun Graphics 10 An image showing how the fuel cut off switches have to be deliberately 'unlocked' before being moved US experts told the First Officer Clive Kunder reportedly asked: 'Why did you cut off?' The captain then replied: 'I didn't.' Sabharwal, eerily, stayed calm as the aircraft plunged. More on Air India crash The Only one person on board The voice recorder captured the cockpit drama, but the actions that sealed the plane's fate Now, new details from the US probe are zeroing in on Sabharwal. Most read in The Sun Sources familiar with the American investigation said it was he who reached for the fuel control switches after the Dreamliner had just climbed off the runway. The co-pilot, stunned, asked why. Then he panicked. Sabharwal stayed composed. US officials familiar with the evidence told the WSJ the switches were moved to the "cutoff" position in quick succession - one second apart. Ten seconds later, they were flipped back on. But by then, both engines had already flamed out and crash was imminent. 'Human hand' HAD to be involved in Air India crash disaster, pilot says…as he reveals billions-to-one odds of tech fault A calm captain & panicked co-pilot Kunder was flying the aircraft, and his hands were on the controls. Sabharwal, as the monitoring pilot, would likely have had his hands free. That's a key distinction, US pilots and safety experts say, and one that points toward who had the opportunity to touch the guarded fuel switches. But people familiar with the cockpit recordings and US officials' review say the black box strongly suggests it was Sabharwal who moved them. Ben Berman, a former senior NTSB official, told the WSJ: 'There was nothing to prompt the crew to perform emergency procedures, become stressed, or do anything except rotate the nose up and retract the landing gear, like they had done so many times before.' 10 The plane seconds before disaster 10 Tail of the doomed Air India flight 10 Clive Kunder was the co-pilot on the doomed flight Credit: Pixel8000 'Human hand' behind the error Captain Steve Scheibner, an aviation expert and seasoned pilot, believes the deadly Air India crash may have been the result of a human act inside the cockpit. 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,
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Human hand' HAD to be involved in Air India crash disaster, pilot says…as he reveals billions-to-one odds of tech fault
AN EXPLOSIVE new theory from a top aviation expert has ignited fears that the devastating Air India crash may not have been an accident - but the result of a human act inside the cockpit. Captain Steve Scheibner suggested there was a "human hand" behind the tragedy of fight AI 171 - and insisted the 12 The plane seconds before disaster 12 Officials inspect the remains of the Air India passenger plane at the crash site in Ahmedabad 12 The Boeing 787 Dreamliner plummeted into a doctors' hostel 12 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 Scheibner, a seasoned pilot and respected aviation analyst, told Piers Morgan Uncensored: "I don't think Boeing has fault in this one. "My take on it is that the aeroplane was operating exactly the way it was designed, I don't think there was anything wrong with this particular aircraft." The It killed 241 passengers and 19 people on the ground in one of the worst disasters in aviation history, More on the air india crash But while the early narrative leaned toward tragic malfunction, Scheibner was blunt: "When you place both fuel cutoff switches to cut off, that will fuel-starve the engines and they'll both flame out." And "But I really firmly believe that there had to be a human hand on both of those for them to go to cut off." His comments follow a Most read in The Sun They were turned back to "RUN" seconds before the crash, but it was too late. Cockpit audio captured one pilot asking: 'Why did you cut off?' and the other replying, 'I didn't.' Fuel switch-off on doomed Air India flight looks to be 'conscious human action', former pilot says 12 A cockpit view of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft shows the fuel switch; Annotations by The Sun Graphics 12 An image showing how the fuel cut off switches have to be deliberately 'unlocked' before being moved Neither crew member was identified in the report, which also refrained from stating whether the switches were moved by mistake or by deliberate action. "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," Scheibner said, referencing the moment of liftoff. 'Two and a half billion to one' The aviation expert 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. Scheibner went on to explain: "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, there is just not a scenario that that fits into. "And this according to the report, that's what happened." 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 Captain Scheibner isn't the only one raising red flags. Ex-pilot and aviation commentator Terry Tozer also weighed in this week, calling the He told The Sun: "The fuel cutoff switches were actioned shortly after lift off from RUN to CUTOFF. "That implies that somebody did that as a conscious human action, because so far as we understand, these switches have a lock mechanism." "They have to be lifted in order to be moved," he explained. "Otherwise they lock in position." Tozer flatly dismissed the idea of accidental flicking, saying: "I can't see why any pilot would have their hands anywhere near the area where these switches are located." 12 Vishwash Ramesh, the sole survivor of the Air India crash, poses for the first time since the disaster 12 Wreckage of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane sits on the ground outside Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport 12 Landing gear of the Air India plane crashed directly on the BJ Medical College UG hostel mess Credit: Getty Tragic profile emerges The growing suspicion around the crash deepens with revelations about Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a respected 56-year-old veteran, was reportedly Neighbours say he was planning to leave flying altogether to care for his 92-year-old father. 'Just one or two more flights… then I'm going to just be with Papa,' he reportedly told a friend. But now, Captain Sabharwal's mental health is under scrutiny. Aviation sources in India told The Telegraph he had battled depression and taken time off in the years before the crash. Though he passed a Class I medical exam in September 2024, investigators are now combing through his medical records for clues. Leading Indian aviation expert Captain Mohan Ranganathan 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.' Families of the victims who tragically died in the crash have 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. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson also urged caution, warning staff in a leaked memo that the probe was far from over. 'The preliminary report identified no cause nor made any recommendations,' he wrote, adding that 'it provided both greater clarity and opened additional questions.' 12 Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was the lead pilot in the doomed Air India flight 12 Clive Kunder was the co-pilot on the doomed flight No fault found with aircraft The report confirmed that there were no mechanical issues, no bird strikes, and no fuel contamination. The aircraft's configuration for takeoff was normal, and both pilots were medically cleared and well-rested. It also highlighted that Boeing's fuel control switches — which require lifting and unlocking before moving — were working as designed. The FAA had issued a non-binding notice in 2018 about switch locking mechanisms on similar aircraft, but no airworthiness directive followed, and Air India admitted it had not carried out the suggested inspections. Still, both Scheibner and Tozer agree: it's extraordinarily unlikely this was a case of pure human error. 'We do know that the switches were placed to cut off,' said Scheibner. 'And 10 seconds later they were placed back to run… if one did it, the other probably was the one that undid it.' 12 Tail of the doomed Air India flight
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- RTÉ News
'Strong argument' for video in cockpits, says IATA chief
There is a "strong argument" for putting video cameras in airline cockpits to assist in accident investigations, the head of global aviation industry group IATA has said. The comments by Willie Walsh, director-general of the International Air Transport Association, followed the release of a preliminary report on last month's Air India crash, which found that the plane's engine fuel switches had been turned off. The report, issued on Saturday by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), did not offer any conclusions or apportion blame for the 12 June disaster, but indicated that one pilot asked the other why he cut off fuel, and the second pilot responded that he had not. The crash killed all but one of the 242 people on board as well as 19 people on the ground. Mr Walsh, a former commercial airline pilot, said he understood the reluctance of pilots to put video cameras in the cockpit. But "on a personal basis, because we've not discussed this at IATA, I can see that there is a strong argument for the inclusion of video in the cockpit to assist in accident investigations", he told reporters. "It's quite possible that a video recording, in addition to the voice recording, would significantly assist the investigators in conducting that investigation," Mr Walsh added. Asked if IATA would recommend a redesign in the cockpit to prevent any accidental turning off of the engine fuel switches, Mr Walsh said the industry body will have to wait for a more detailed report and not speculate. "I think it's important that we allow the accident investigators to conduct a full and proper investigation and to wait for them to publish their report and then deal with it at that stage," he said. But he also lauded the preliminary report for containing "more information than most people were expecting". The initial probe's findings sparked speculation by several independent aviation experts that deliberate or inadvertent pilot action may have caused the London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to crash soon after take-off from Ahmedabad in western India.
