
Who Were Two Pilots Who Flew Air India Jet That Crashed
Below is a brief profile of the two pilots based on the preliminary investigation report and media reports:
CAPTAIN SUMEET SABHARWAL
The 56-year-old had an airline transport pilot's licence that was valid until May 14, 2026.
He had obtained clearances to fly as pilot-in-command on several aircraft including the Boeing 787 and 777 and the Airbus A310.
He had total flying experience of 15,638 hours, of which 8,596 hours were on a Boeing 787.
Mr Sabharwal had called his family from the airport, assuring them he would ring again after landing in London, according to a Times of India report. A pilot who had briefly interacted with him told Reuters he was a "gentleman."
FIRST OFFICER CLIVE KUNDER
The 32-year-old had a commercial pilot license which was issued in 2020 and valid until September 26, 2025.
He had obtained clearances to fly Cessna 172 and Piper PA-34 Seneca aircraft as pilot-in-command and as co-pilot on Airbus A320 and Boeing 787 jets.
He had total flying experience of 3,403 hours. Of that, 1,128 hours of experience were as a 787 co-pilot.
Since his school-going days Mr Kunder was passionate about flying, and in 2012, began serving as a pilot, Indian media reported, citing his relatives. He joined Air India in 2017.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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First Post
33 minutes ago
- First Post
Air India pilots tried to restart engines: Crash report finds thrust levers idle, 'suggesting disconnect/failure'
The report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau on the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad mentioned that both pilots tried to restart the engines but were unable to recover the Boeing Air Craft. Here's why read more The tail of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane that crashed is seen stuck on a building after the incident in Ahmedabad, India, on June 12. In the aftermath of the crash, Air India continues to cancel several flights. Reuters The report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau on the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad mentioned that both pilots tried to restart the engines but were unable to recover, leading to the devastating crash that killed over 260 people. According to the preliminary report, moments after take-off, both the switches in the cockpit that controlled fuel going to the engines had been moved to the 'cut-off' position. Drawing information from the voice recordings inside the cockpit, one of the pilots is heard asking the other Why did he cut off?', referring to the fuel switch. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The other pilot responded that he did not do so.' Seconds after, the plane began losing altitude. Amid the chaos, an emergency message was transmitted from the cockpit to the air traffic control, right before the plane crashed to the ground outside the airport perimeter. While all this was happening, the pilots were trying to recover the aircraft. What happened after the switches transitioned to cut-off According to the AAIB report, the fuel switches were moved to cut off 'one after another'. Seconds later, the pilots moved back the switched to the 'run' position to turn the fuel back on. This resulted in a relight and thrust recovery sequence of ignition and fuel introduction. Engine 1 started the core recovery, but Engine 2 could not arrest the core speed after fuel re-introduction. 'Thrust levers found at idle, but the black box shows takeoff thrust was still engaged, suggesting a disconnect/failure,' the report stated. Apart from this, the report maintained that the engine fuel was tested to be clean and there was no contamination from refuelling sources. 'Flap setting (5 degrees) and gear (DOWN) were normal for takeoff. No bird activity or weather issues - clear skies, good visibility, light winds,' the report read. 'The AAIB report said the credentials of the pilots were clear and both were medically fit and rested, with adequate experience on the type,' it furthered. However, it is important to note that it is a preliminary report, and the probe into the devastating crash is still ongoing. It would take months for the final report to come to light.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Air India Crash Investigation: FAA Warned of Fuel Control Switch Issues Years Earlier, ET Infra
Advt FAA advisory on Fuel Control Switch Advt Skepticism By , ETInfra NEW DELHI: The Preliminary Report from Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft accident on June 12 highlighted that initial cut in the flow of fuel to the engines right after take off has been identified as one of the major causes of the accident which killed 260 to the report, the switches in the cockpit which control the flow to both the engines transitioned from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' position one after another leading to decrease in the aircraft's take-off altitude and the required thrust. Based on the cock voice recorder, the report also indicated that both the pilots were caught unaware of the transition in the position of the fuel control switch.'In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other, why did he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so,' the preliminary report to the preliminary report, after the initial fuel cut off to the engines, the aircraft's Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders recorded that after a few seconds, the switches again transitioned from from 'CUTOFF' to 'RUN', leading to a renewed supply of fuel to the engine and thrust.'When fuel control switches are moved from CUTOFF to RUN while the aircraft is inflight, each engine's full authority dual engine control (FADEC) automatically manages a relight and thrust recovery sequence of ignition and fuel introduction,' the report the relighting of the engines was too late and the aircraft with full speed crashed outside the perimeter of Ahmedabad airport into a medical college building, killing 241 crew and passengers on board and 19 people on report highlighted that US' aviation safety regulatory body, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), had earlier in 2018 issued an alert regarding potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature, the one similar to onboard the fatal Air India's Boeing 787 FAA, in an 2018 advisory, had alerted airline operators and owners about potential for disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature onboard several aircraft models, including Boeing 787.'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. Inadvertent operation of the switch could result in an unintended consequence, such as an in-flight engine shutdown,' according to the advisory from FAA, dated December 17, preliminary report stated that the FAA did not consider the airworthiness concern related to fuel control switch as an unsafe condition that would warrant airworthiness directive which necessitates mandatory action.'As per the information from Air India, the suggested inspections were not carried out as the SAIB (Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin) was advisory and not mandatory. The scrutiny of maintenance records revealed that the throttle control module was replaced on VT-ANB (the aircraft's registration) in 2019 and 2023. However, the reason for the replacement was not linked to the fuel control switch. There has been no defect reported pertaining to the fuel control switch since 2023 on VT-ANB,' the AAIB's preliminary report to the advisory alert note from FAA's, the fuel control switch is manufactured by North Carolina-based Honeywell, which is engaged in avionics and aviation products manufacturing and preliminary report from AAIB has drawn a bit of skepticism from industry experts.'The preliminary report is sketchy, with not much data and does not say as to who was flying the aircraft at the moment of crash,' said Amit Singh, Founder, Safety Matters Foundation and who had earlier served as Chief of Safety and Director of Flight Operations at erstwhile AirAsia aircraft was operated by two pilots, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder.'The report has not released FDR (flight data recorder) data and the CVR (cockpit voice recorder) data. The released data does not show continuity. Even the CCTV image showing RAT (ram air turbine) deployment does not have the time stamp,' added outlined that all the recovered parts of the aircraft will be sent for testing for further detailed AAIB team investigating the Air India crash comprises Sanjay Kumar Singh as Investigator-in-Charge, Jasbir Singh Larhga as Chief Investigator, Vipin Venu Varakoth, Veeraragavan K and Vaishnav Vijayakumar as investigators.
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Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
A month on, soot-covered buildings mark site of Ahmedabad plane crash
The aircraft burst into flames, killing 241 out of 242 people onboard and 19 individuals on the ground, including several BJ Medical College students Press Trust of India Ahmedabad A month after the Air India plane crashed on the bustling medical hostel complex near Ahmedabad airport, charred trees, soot-covered walls, and empty buildings now serve as grim reminders of the deadliest aviation accident in a decade. On that day, Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft en route to London Gatwick, crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel complex shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport. The aircraft burst into flames, killing 241 out of 242 people onboard and 19 individuals on the ground, including several BJ Medical College students. At the time of the crash, many medical students and resident doctors were either in their hostel rooms or gathered in the mess for lunch. The tail section of the aircraft rammed into the mess building, turning an ordinary afternoon into a horrific scene of fire and destruction. Wreckage was scattered across the hostel grounds, and thick soot still clung to the damaged buildings. One month later, barring a contingent of police personnel, the crash site shows no signs of activity. Additional Commissioner of Police, Jaipal Singh Rathore, said approximately 50-60 police personnel have been deployed to guard the crash site. He said the arrangement will be withdrawn after AAIB gives us a report in the next 2-4 days stating they are no longer needed at the spot.. According to a preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the wreckage was spread over an area approximately 1,000 feet by 400 feet. The aircraft's descent began with an impact against several trees and an incineration chimney within the Army Medical Corps compound before it crashed into the northeast wall of Building A (the mess building), it said. The crash site is located just 0.9 nautical miles from the departure end of the airport runway. Four hostel buildingsAtulyam 1 to 4and the mess building were severely damaged. BJ Medical College Dean Dr. Minakshi Parikh stated that approximately 150 students were displaced and promptly relocated to vacant rooms in other hostels or private apartments rented by the college. "Within a week, we had made alternative arrangements for accommodation. The damaged mess building is no longer in use, and students are now being served at canteens operating in other hostel buildings, she said. The AAIB stated, "As the aircraft was losing altitude, it initially made contact with a series of trees and an incineration chimney inside the Army Medical Corps compound before impacting the northeast wall of Building A (hostel mess)". The distance between the tree on which the aircraft made its initial contact and the point on Building A where the aircraft impacted is 293 ft. As the aircraft moved forward, it continued fragmenting and colliding with other structures and vegetation, it said. The report stated that the vertical stabiliser of the plane separated and came to rest about 200 feet south of the initial point of contact with the first building. The tail section and the main landing gear (MLG) of the aircraft were found embedded in the northeast wall of the same building while the rest of the aeroplane continued its forward movement, it said. The damaged terrace of the mess building is leaning, with a gaping hole created by the tail which was removed ten days after the crash. Further describing the impact of the crash, the AAIB report stated that the right engine of the aircraft struck the concrete water tank structure and rested underneath it after separating from the aeroplane. Different parts of the aircraft separated after its initial contact with the first building, and struck four other buildings. The parts of the right wing were found in two affected buildings and the surrounding areas, while the left engine hit the north corner of the fourth building at ground level. "The engine, remaining portions of the attached cowling, and the surrounding area were heavily damaged by fire," it said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)