Air India crash: Why pilot error is an unfounded theory

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On Saturday (July 12), the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its preliminary findings into the Air India crash in Ahmedabad in June. Shortly after its release, some media outlets and experts insinuated that pilot error was the reason for the tragedy. Here's why experts are slamming this theory read more
A tail of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane that crashed is seen stuck on a building after the incident in Ahmedabad, India. File image/Reuters
On June 12, Air India flight AI 171 took off from Ahmedabad only to crash within minutes, killing 260 people, making it one of the worst aviation tragedies in India's recent history. Almost a month later, on July 12, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its preliminary report into the tragedy, hinting that pilot action caused the crash.
Many veterans and experts of the aviation industry are raising doubts over the AAIB report as well as the reporting of it — some Indian netizens are furious with Western media's skewed reportage of the crash and placing blame solely on the shoulders of the pilots.
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In fact, the Pilots' Association of India has raised strong objections over the direction of the investigation, alleging that it appears to be 'presuming the guilt of pilots'.
So, what's going on? And why it may be incorrect to blame the pilots for the Air India crash?
What does the AAIB report reveal on AI crash?
The 15-page preliminary probe report released on Saturday (July 12) has thrown light on what occurred before Air India's Dreamliner came crashing down. The AAIB finding reveals that seconds after take-off, both of the 787 Dreamliner's fuel-control switches moved to the 'cutoff' position.
What this means is that the engines were starved of fuel, causing them to lose power. The report reads: '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.' It did not identify who said what.
What is very important to note here is that the report does not detail the conversation between the pilots prior to and after this brief exchange. The report does not include the full transcript of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) recording, causing doubts to creep up on what exactly happened.
Additionally, the report also reveals that the ram air turbine (RAT) was deployed during the initial climb immediately after take-off. The small wind turbine acts as a backup power source during emergencies, and is normally only deployed during complete power failure.
At 8.07 am (UTC), the aircraft was cleared for take-off. About 8.09 am, one of the pilots transmitted: ' Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.' The air traffic control officer did not get any response. The report also found: 'Both thrust levers were found near the aft (idle) position. 'However, the EAFR [enhanced airborne flight recorder] data revealed that the thrust levers remained forward (take-off thrust) until the impact.'
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Wreckage of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner lies at the site where the Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India. File image/Reuters
How has the report caused furore?
Shortly after the report's findings were made public, some media outlets indicated that the fatal Air India crash was the fault of the pilots — 56-year-old Sumeet Sabharwal and 32-year-old Clive Kunder. The _BBC_ in its report titled the report, 'Pilot cut off fuel to engine — no fault with plane', indicating the crash was owing to pilot error. Some quarters even implied that the crash was the result of the pilot's desire to die by suicide.
However, the AAIB's findings and its reportage has been slammed by many within the aviation industry as well as others. On Saturday, the Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA-I) criticised the report for its 'tone and direction' that suggested 'bias towards pilot error'.
'The tone and direction of the investigation suggest a bias toward pilot error. ALPA-I categorically rejects this presumption and insists on a fair, fact-based inquiry,' said ALPA-I President Sam Thomas. The pilots' body also reiterated its request to be included 'at the very least, as observers' in the air crash investigation.
This was followed up by the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), which condemned the insinuation that pilot suicide might be the cause of the tragic crash of the Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft.
A police officer stands in front of the wreckage of an Air India aircraft, bound for London's Gatwick Airport, which crashed and landed on a hostel building minutes after take-off from an airport in Ahmedabad. File image/Reuters
In a statement, the ICPA said: 'We call upon media organisations and public commentators to act with restraint, empathy, and respect for due process. The crew of AI 171 acted in line with their training and responsibilities under challenging conditions. They deserve support — not vilification based on conjecture.' It further expressed its 'unwavering support' for the pilots of flight AI 171.
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'In the aftermath of this incident, we are deeply disturbed by speculative narratives emerging in sections of the media and public discourse — particularly the reckless and unfounded insinuation of pilot suicide. Let us be unequivocally clear: there is absolutely no basis for such a claim at this stage, and invoking such a serious allegation based on incomplete or preliminary information is not only irresponsible — it is deeply insensitive to the individuals and families involved,' the ICPA added in its statement.
Other individuals also slammed the findings of the report — veteran journalist Barkha Dutt called the BBC's reporting 'scurrilous', pointing out that the AAIB report clearly mentions an Federal Aviation Administration advisory about a potential fuel switch malfunction. 'Why would you not consider a fuel switch malfunction given the documented FAA advisory?' she questioned on X.
How does the AAIB report leave many questions unanswered?
Following the findings of the report being released, resulting in a blame game, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol has said that the report is not yet final, and the information is 'still under the purview of investigation'.
And it seems that the report has left many questions that still demand an answer. First and foremost, the report says the engine fuel control switches that allow and cut fuel flow to the plane's engines transitioned from run to cutoff. However, it doesn't say how this happened.
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Ex-IAF director Sanjeev Kapoor has called the report incomplete. On the issue of the fuel switches, he told India Today, 'It is absolutely bizarre to suggest that any sane pilot would deliberately operate the fuel cut-off switches right after takeoff. Why would a pilot, having just lifted off manually, turn the aircraft 170 degrees just to shut down the engines? It defies all logic.'
Others have also pointed out that incidents of fuel switches tripping to the cutoff position have occurred in the past. Aviation expert Mark D Martin stated that there was an FAA circular on the same.
A man passes by damaged buildings, where an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane crashed during takeoff from a nearby airport, in Ahmedabad. Reuters
Moreover, in 2018, Boeing — the makers of the plane — had issued a similar warning about the fuel switches. President of the Federation of Indian Pilots, Charanvir Singh Randhawa told news agency ANI, 'Back in December 2018, Boeing issued an advisory about similar fuel control switch malfunctions in some 737 aircraft. If that information was available, then all the aircraft should have been checked. This circular should have been a directive rather than just an advisory.'
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The report also doesn't reveal the full cockpit camera footage. Experts have said that only the full audio and transcript of the cockpit voice recorder would paint the right picture of events that unfolded inside the cockpit between the two pilots in the minutes leading up to the tragedy.
There's also lack of clarity of who was taking the decisions inside the ill-fated plane. Charanvir Singh Randhawa told news agency ANI, 'The aircraft was actually being flown by the co-pilot, who was the one controlling the plane, while the captain, who was the pilot-in-command, was monitoring the flight. So, it's still unclear who made the key decisions. The preliminary report doesn't make that clear, even though it would have been easy to identify from the Cockpit Voice Recorder who was speaking.'
What happens next?
While families and the public await the full report on the Air India crash, the Hindustan Times reports that ALPA-I is mulling whether to take legal action against the authorities for not having a pilot representative as part of the investigating committee.
'It is unfair for the government to not have a trained B787 pilot or a senior commander be part of the investigation. The actual fault leading to the crash should be known; however, there is a fear that the investigation is being carried out in one direction, which is to prove the pilots at fault,' one of its officials requesting anonymity said.
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With inputs from agencies