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The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- General
- The Irish Sun
Pilot error, a suicide mission or mechanical issue… just what – or who – turned off the fuel on Air India Flight 171?
TO the terrified locals who ducked when Air India Flight 171 narrowly missed their apartment block, captain Sumeet Sabharwal and his first officer are heroes. They are convinced the two pilots saved hundreds of lives by diverting the jet at the last moment after it suffered a catastrophic lack of thrust seconds after take-off. 5 Captain Sumeet Sabharwal Credit: Instagram 5 Co-pilot Clive Kunder was at the controls of the Air India jet when it crashed 5 Debris from Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad, India in June Yet those grateful families, along with the rest of the world, are now contemplating the awful possibility that either This is because That could be down to a mechanical issue or a deliberate act by one of the pilots — and aviation experts have told The Sun that the focus is very much on the latter. The 15-page document released by As the engines cut out, one of the two pilots is heard in the black box flight recording frantically asking the other: 'Why did you cut off?', to which the second insists, 'I did not do so'. Moments after the exchange, the switches were turned back on. One engine did restart but not in time to avert tragedy. The jet roared over a three-storey apartment block where 18 families live right next to Ahmedabad airport, missing the top floor by a few feet. Air India victims' families slam 'cover-up' probe as questions remain over possible engine switch confusion 'Murky situation' It then clipped trees and a building inside a compound belonging to the Army Medical Corps before slamming into a medical college, with nearly 60 tons of aviation fuel exploding in a ferocious fireball. Nineteen people died on the ground and all but one of the 242 people on board were killed. Miracle survivor The preliminary report does not rule out the possibility that the fuel supply was cut off due to a mechanical issue. But industry experts yesterday said the spotlight was firmly on the pilots — first officer Kunder, 32, who was at the controls, and captain Sabharwal, 56, who was 'pilot monitoring'. Terry Tozer, former pilot and author of Confessions Of An Airline Pilot — Why Planes Crash, said: 'The report is absolutely shocking. 'The implication is that somebody on the flight deck turned the fuel switches to cut-off and then somebody rescued that situation and put them back to 'run'. 'The engines began to reignite but they didn't have a chance to recover. The report is absolutely shocking. The implication is that somebody on the flight deck turned the fuel switches to cut-off and then somebody rescued that situation and put them back to 'run' Terry Tozer 'First one switch and then the other was set to cut-off, and that's how it would be done if you were doing it deliberately. 'If we assume the switches were functioning as intended, you could not knock them off accidentally. 'One pilot said to the other, 'Why did you turn the fuel off?' and the other one said, 'I didn't'. 'So obviously one of them thought the other one deliberately turned them off. 'It's a murky situation.' Air safety expert Julian Bray believes that pilot suicide is a possibility, just like in Julian said: 'It's impossible for a pilot to turn the switches from run to cut-off by accident. 'It has to be a deliberate act. 'It could be pilot suicide, which we had with Germanwings. 'We don't know yet from the exchange on the flight deck because one says, 'Why did you turn it off?' and the other comes back, 'I didn't'. Was he suddenly feeling guilty?' Julian also raised the possibility of a software glitch or even a third person being present in the cockpit. He said: 'Could it have been someone in the jump seat? 'The Dreamliner has two jump seats, which are behind the pilot and co-pilot seats. 'It's not uncommon for people to be in the jump seat. 'Quite often pilots or cabin crew will hitch a lift if there are no passenger seats available. 'Someone in one of the jump seats could have been feeling suicidal and leaned over and turned the switches. 5 Air India flight AI171 pictured moments before the crash 5 Thick black smoke billowing from the site after the crash 'It's highly unlikely, but it is conceivable and can't be ruled out. 'Also, what we don't know is whether there is a software override in the Dreamliner that can actually do that automatically. 'If it's a dire emergency then all sorts of other systems come into play that might have been part of another procedure. 'The investigators will be looking at all the systems and will try to work out whether it was fired remotely by the software, because these glitches have happened before.' Aviation lawyer Demetrius Danas, from legal firm Irwin Mitchell, is representing a number of the British victims' families. He said: 'The initial findings are deeply concerning. 'Three seconds after take-off, the fuel was cut off to one engine and then almost immediately the other one. 'It is a really chilling conversation between the two pilots. The initial findings are deeply concerning. Three seconds after take-off, the fuel was cut off to one engine and then almost immediately the other one. It is a really chilling conversation between the two pilotsegan to reignite but they didn't have a chance to recover Demetrius Danas 'Hopefully we will learn what was said before this exchange but it does seem clear these two buttons were switched off and then tried to be put back on again, but it was too late. 'If it is pilot error, was it inadvertent, absent-minded or was it deliberate? 'It is baffling. 'If it's intentional, is it muscle memory doing something you have done many times before but on this occasion at the wrong time? 'The switches are used on every flight, but when it ends. 'This time it was done when it started. 'The families are desperate to know why the engines were starved of fuel and how that happened.' Lawyer, aviation expert and qualified helicopter pilot James Healy-Pratt, of Keystone Law, is representing another 20 of the British families. He added a note of caution to the speculation that the fuel switches were turned off by a deliberate act. James said: 'It is possible they were deliberately touched, but that's as hard as I can go at the moment. 'I think it is too early to come to conclusions such as suicide or mass homicide, because put yourself in the shoes of one of the families. 'It's one thing to lose loved ones from an accident. 'It's very different to lose loved ones who suddenly become victims of an intentional crime. 'Everything does now centre around two things — those fuel control levers and what happened in the cockpit over about 20 seconds. 'We will be filing a lawsuit against Boeing in the States to get more information about those switches. 'It's the only way we have of trying to get some evidence, and our families want answers.' One of the families waiting to learn more are the relatives of Ashok Patel, 74, and his wife Shobhana, 71, from Orpington, Kent. They had been married for 47 years and were flying home after visiting India on a religious pilgrimage. Furious row Ashok was a financial adviser and Shobhana a microbiologist who had worked for the NHS for 37 years. Son Miten, 40, who now wears the emerald ring his dad had on when he died and which was recovered from the crash site, said: 'They had gone through so many challenges in life. 'They had this strength that you don't give up. That is what is keeping us going now. They were inseparable and were loved by so many people. 'It's incredible the number of text messages I have had since they died. 'Dad had the ability to walk into a room and talk to anyone. He was always interested in other people. 'And Mum was the rock of our extended family. She was there every day for any relative, in good times or bad. If someone was coming round for lunch she would make a full-blown Hindu meal. 'I would say, 'Mum, what are you doing? You're spending the entire evening making this huge meal and they are just calling round'. 'She would say, 'They're coming to our house and we always welcome our guests properly'. It's impossible for a pilot to turn the switches from run to cut-off by accident. It has to be a deliberate act. It could be pilot suicide, which we had with Germanwings Julian Bray 'Since the plane went down, there have been so many theories but until we see the final report that this is the cause or that is the cause, only then should we go down that route. 'It is going to take time, which causes more heartache and frustration because people want answers. 'For all of the families this is a tragedy and we are entitled to know what happened and there has to be accountability. 'But we have to wait for the final report and hope it will conclude on evidence-based information which will prevent this from ever happening again.' The preliminary report reveals that But that was not due to any problem with the switches, and there has been no report of any defect with the switches since then, it states. That further turns the focus on to the pilots, which has triggered a furious row in India. The Airline Pilots' Association of India blasted the report because it 'appears biased toward pilot error'. The pilots union added: 'This investigation seems to presume pilot fault, and we strongly object to that narrative. 'We strongly reject any premature conclusions and urge a fact-based, unbiased inquiry.' Meanwhile, the only survivor from the flight continues to struggle to deal with the aftermath a month on from crawling out of the wreckage.
NDTV
11-07-2025
- General
- NDTV
Updates: Air India Flight Crashed 32 Seconds After Takeoff, No Bird-Hit: Probe Report
New Delhi: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has released a preliminary report on its probe into the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, in which 241 people onboard the aircraft were killed, and only one survived. According to the probe report, both engines of the aircraft shut down mid-air, and the flight crashed just 32 seconds after takeoff. The report has ruled out any bird-hit or bird activity that could have impacted the flight. Here are the updates on the Air India Crash probe report 'I Didn't Cut Off Fuel': Last Chat Of Pilots On Air India Plane That Crashed A month after the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that killed 270 people, a preliminary report into the worst aviation accident in India in decades showed the engines' fuel cutoff switches shifting from cutoff to run within seconds of each other. "Why did you cut off?" one of the pilots was heard asking the other in the cockpit voice recording. The other pilot responded that he did not do so. Jul 12, 2025 02:28 (IST) Air India Plane First Hit Trees Then Crashed Into Building 293 Feet Away, Says Report 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. 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 collided with other structures and vegetation. The impact witness marks on the building and aeroplane indicated a likely nose-up attitude (about 8 degrees) and wings level. Aircraft Wreckage Was Spread Over 1000x400 Feet Area, Says Probe Report The probe report revealed that after takeoff, the aircraft impacted the BJ Medical College hostel, which is 0.9 NM from the departure end of Runway 23. The Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) was not activated during this event. The wreckage, from the first impact point till the last identified aircraft item, was distributed in an area of approximately. 1000 ft x 400 ft.
Mint
07-07-2025
- Health
- Mint
Army doctor pulls off miraculous birth with just a pocket knife and hair clip at Jhansi station
A medical officer with the Army Medical Corps, Major Dr Rohit Bachwala, 31, came to rescue a pregnant woman who suffered extreme labour pain on July 5. The young doctor used a few resources like a pocket knife and hair clip during delivery of a baby girl at foot over bridge of Jhansi Railway Station. The woman was travelling on the Panvel-Gorakhpur Express. When she reported about it, she was deboarded at Jhansi station in afternoon, North Central Railway's Jhansi Division Public Relations Officer Manoj Kumar Singh said. At that time, Dr Rohit was waiting for his train when he saw the woman on wheelchair in discomfort and immediately rushed to assist with railway staff joining him, including a female ticket-checking staff member at the spot. 'With no access to a proper operation theatre, I had to rely on tools I had on me. To clamp the umbilical cord, I used a hair clip. A pocket knife helped me cut it after ensuring the baby was stable. The mother and child were in a precarious condition, and every second mattered," PTI quoted Dr Rohit as saying. He shared the woman lost consciousness when he stepped in. He added, 'There was no time to waste. We created a makeshift delivery area and ensured basic hygiene with the help of available supplies. It was divine intervention that I was present at that moment.' Both mother and baby were doing fine as they were then taken to a local hospital by an ambulance. The railway staff made quick arrangements into this case. Dr Rohit hopped on the train to Hyderabad timely and stated, 'As doctors, we must be prepared for emergencies at all times, even in transit. I consider it a blessing that I could help save two lives.' The passengers and nearby people were amazed to see the scene unfold. (With inputs from agency)
Hindustan Times
06-07-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Army doctor performs emergency delivery at railway platform with hair clip, pocket knife
Jhansi , A hair clip and a pocket knife became tools during the emergency delivery of a baby girl — right on the platform. Army doctor performs emergency delivery at railway platform with hair clip, pocket knife The procedure, carried out by a young army doctor using minimal resources, ensured the safe birth of the child, leaving bystanders awestruck and the new parents overwhelmed. According to North Central Railway's Jhansi Division Public Relations Officer Manoj Kumar Singh, a pregnant woman travelling on the Panvel-Gorakhpur Express experienced severe labour pain and was deboarded at Jhansi station on Saturday afternoon. Seeing the critical situation, a female ticket-checking staff member and an army officer stationed nearby sprang into action and came to the assistance of the woman. Major Dr Rohit Bachwala , a medical officer with the Army Medical Corps, was waiting for his train when he witnessed a railway employee rushing a woman in distress on a wheelchair. Reacting instinctively, he stepped in and, with the help of railway staff, decided to help the woman in delivering the baby on the platform itself. "With no access to a proper operation theatre, I had to rely on tools I had on me,' Major Bachwala told PTI. "To clamp the umbilical cord, I used a hair clip. A pocket knife helped me cut it after ensuring the baby was stable. The mother and child were in a precarious condition, and every second mattered." He further shared that the woman had collapsed due to intense labour pain near the lift area when he intervened. "There was no time to waste. We created a makeshift delivery area and ensured basic hygiene with the help of available supplies. It was divine intervention that I was present at that moment," he added. Post-delivery, both mother and baby were shifted to a local hospital by ambulance, with railway staff facilitating the arrangements. Doctors later confirmed both were in stable condition. Incredibly, after successfully handling the emergency, Major Bachwala boarded his train to Hyderabad on time. "As doctors, we must be prepared for emergencies at all times, even in transit. I consider it a blessing that I could help save two lives,' he said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
NDTV
06-07-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Army Doctor Helps Deliver Baby At Railway Platform With Hair Clip, Pocket Knife
Jhansi: A hair clip and a pocket knife became tools during the emergency delivery of a baby girl - right on the platform. The procedure, carried out by a young army doctor using minimal resources, ensured the safe birth of the child, leaving bystanders awestruck and the new parents overwhelmed. According to North Central Railway's Jhansi Division Public Relations Officer Manoj Kumar Singh, a pregnant woman travelling on the Panvel-Gorakhpur Express experienced severe labour pain and was deboarded at Jhansi station on Saturday afternoon. Seeing the critical situation, a female ticket-checking staff member and an army officer stationed nearby sprang into action and came to the assistance of the woman. Major Dr Rohit Bachwala (31), a medical officer with the Army Medical Corps, was waiting for his train when he witnessed a railway employee rushing a woman in distress on a wheelchair. Reacting instinctively, he stepped in and, with the help of railway staff, decided to help the woman in delivering the baby on the platform itself. "With no access to a proper operation theatre, I had to rely on tools I had on me," Major Bachwala told PTI. "To clamp the umbilical cord, I used a hair clip. A pocket knife helped me cut it after ensuring the baby was stable. The mother and child were in a precarious condition, and every second mattered." He further shared that the woman had collapsed due to intense labour pain near the lift area when he intervened. "There was no time to waste. We created a makeshift delivery area and ensured basic hygiene with the help of available supplies. It was divine intervention that I was present at that moment," he added. Post-delivery, both mother and baby were shifted to a local hospital by ambulance, with railway staff facilitating the arrangements. Doctors later confirmed both were in stable condition. Incredibly, after successfully handling the emergency, Major Bachwala boarded his train to Hyderabad on time. "As doctors, we must be prepared for emergencies at all times, even in transit. I consider it a blessing that I could help save two lives," he said.
