Latest news with #Boeing 787
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Air India pilot's final words as he left home on day of plane crash that killed 260 'after he turned off fuel switches' - as it's revealed he was struggling following mother's death
The captain of an Air India plane that crashed last month killing 260 people had promised he would return home hours before jetting off on the doomed flight. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 56, was the senior pilot onboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that plummeted into a residential area in Ahmedabad on June 12 - killing 241 people on board and 19 people on the ground. The veteran aviator, who had more than 8,200 hours in the cockpit, is being looked into by investigators over suggestions he turned off the plane's fuel switches, causing it to lose power. The plane had set off to London at 1:38pm and remained airborne for about 30 seconds before losing power and falling to the ground. Upon impact, it was engulfed by a huge fireball, claiming the lives of all but one person on board. A preliminary report into revealed that before the crash, two fuel switches - which are used to start or shut down the engines and are typically left on during flight - were moved from 'Run' to 'Cutoff', depriving the engines of fuel. There had been confusion in the cabin when Sabharwal and his co-pilot Clive Kunder, 28, realised the fault, before desperate attempts were made to flick them back. Sources close to the investigation believe recordings of the conversation from the Boeing's black box support the view that the captain cut the flow of fuel to the plane's engines. But, Sabharwal's final words to a security guard at his apartment complex, where his elderly father also lived, would suggest otherwise. 'Please, take care of papa. I will be back soon,' he reportedly said just hours before the crash. Friends and colleagues also reject the idea Sabharwal was responsible for the crash, claiming he was a 'gentle soul' and an 'ace pilot' who had never been involved in any major incident prior to the crash. Neil Pais, 61, a former colleague of Sabharwal, told The Telegraph he was 'one of the nicest people you could ever hope to fly with'. 'He had absolutely no airs about himself, so humble, so respectful. Always a smile when he spoke to you,' he added. 'I never once saw him raise his voice or lose his temper. And yet he never compromised on work or safety. If there was an issue, he'd point it out, but always in the nicest possible way.' Another colleague and close friend, Captain Kapil Kohal, said Sabharwal was a 'hero' with a 'gentle soul'. Despite his nickname of 'Sad Sack', given because of his melancholic eyes, Sabharwal was 'deeply charismatic and always ready to help,' he added. But the sadness noticed by his peers was endemic of a deeper tragedy. Sabharwal's had struggled to come to terms with the death of his mother in 2022 and in the wake of her passing had separated from his wife and moved from Delhi to Mumbai, to be closer to his elderly father, Pushkaraj. He is understood to have taken bereavement leave after his mother's death. Although it is believed that he had been 'medically cleared' by Air India prior to the fatal crash. Meanwhile, investigations into the tragic crash have reportedly begun to analyse Sabharwal's behaviour after 'several' Air India pilots allegedly confirmed he suffered from poor mental health. Friends also revealed Sabharwal had considered retiring as a pilot to help care for his 90-year-old father full time. According to Sunil Lokhande, the security guard at his apartment complex in Mumbai, Sabharwal would often visit his father 'for two or three days' and take him for evening walks. The pilot would also buy vegetables and fruits, which he would share with Lokhande and would also give him money to buy meals. Such details bring further questions as to why the pilot might have decided to cutoff the fuel switches only seconds after takeoff, a move described by aviation experts as being 'absolutely bizarre.' While there was no cockpit video recording definitively showing which pilot flipped the switches, early assessments by U.S. officials claim the weight of evidence from the conversation points to the captain being responsible . Citing U.S. pilots familiar with the AAIB report, the Wall Street Journal reported this week that 'as the pilot actively flying, [First Officer] Kunder likely would have had his hands full pulling back on the Dreamliner's controls at that stage of the flight'. On Sunday, a preliminary report released by the Indian authorities led to questions about why the pilot would have manually turned the switches off - and whether it was a deliberate act or a catastrophic mistake. The 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.' Pilots will turn the fuel switches on and off at the correct times in every flight, but this time the fuel was cut off straight after takeoff and the landing gear was not raised. The co-pilot was flying the aircraft at the time of takeoff while the captain was monitoring. The report added that the switches were flipped back to 'run' seconds afterwards, which started the process of relighting the engines. One of the engines had relit but had not gained power while the other was in the process of regaining power. At the crash site, but switches were found in the 'run' position. Before the flight, both pilots had an adequate rest period and were found 'fit to operate' following a breath analyser test, the report said. There were no dangerous goods on the plane and the weight was 'within allowable limits'. Fuel samples taken from the tanks were tested and found to be 'satisfactory' and there was 'no significant bird activity' observed in and around the flight path of the aircraft. But Mr Ranganthan previously suggested it may have been deliberate. Each lever has to be pulled upwards to be unlocked, before it can be flipped and they also have further protective guard brackets to safeguard against any bumps and nudges. Explaining that he believed it 'had to be done manually', Mr Ranganathan told NDTV of the fuel levers: 'The fuel selectors they aren't the sliding type they are always in a slot. 'They are to pull them out or move them up or down, so the question of them moving inadvertently out of off position doesn't happen. It's a case of deliberate manual selection.' He later said 'nothing else' would explain why both switches were moved into the off position just after take off, alleging: 'It had to be deliberately done.' When questioned if he was suggesting one of the pilots 'deliberately' switched off the fuel lever, while fully aware of the possibility of a crash, he answered: 'Absolutely', before asserting they were looking at a potential 'pilot-induced crash'. But relatives of some of the victims of the crash have accused the airline and the Indian government of trying to blame the pilots for the crash. Ameen Siddiqui, 28, whose brother-in-law, Akeel Nanabawa, died alongside his wife and their four-year-old daughter said: 'This report is wrong. We don't accept it.' 'It's a cover-up to protect Air India and the government,' Mr Siddiqui told The Telegraph from Surat, south of Ahmedabad, where the plane crashed. 'They want to blame dead pilots who can't defend themselves. How can the fuel switches end up turning off at a critical moment, either through pilot error or a mechanical fault? CCTV footage from the airport showed that the ram air turbine, known as the RAT, was deployed shortly after takeoff. The RAT acts as a backup power source during emergencies and will deploy in cases of complete power failure. The report said two minutes after takeoff, one of the pilots transmitted: 'Mayday, Mayday, Mayday'. In December 2018 the US air regulator Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned airlines that fuel switches had been installed in some Boeing 737s 'with the locking feature disengaged'. '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,' the FAA warned in a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin. 'Inadvertent operation of the switch could result in an unintended consequence, such as an in-flight engine shutdown.' It recommended airlines inspect the switches, including 'whether the fuel control switch can be moved between the two positions without lifting up the switch'. The airworthiness concern was not considered an unsafe condition that would warrant a legally enforceable regulation to correct unsafe conditions. Air India has suggested such inspections were not carried out because the FAA's bulletin was 'advisory and not mandatory'. An Air India spokesperson previously 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. We acknowledge receipt of the preliminary report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) today, 12 July 2025. 'Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. We continue to fully cooperate with the 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 enquiries to the AAIB.'
Gulf Business
3 days ago
- General
- Gulf Business
Air India crash: What are the fuel switches at the centre of the probe?
Image credit: airindia/Instagram A cockpit recording of dialogue between the two pilots of the Read- Below are a few facts about engine fuel switches, their functions in the aircraft and their movements on the Air India flight. What are fuel switches? They are switches that regulate fuel flow into a plane's engines. They are used by pilots to start or shut down engines on the ground or to manually shut down or restart engines if an engine failure occurs during a flight. Aviation experts say a pilot would not be able to accidentally move the fuel switches that feed the engines. But if moved, the effect would be immediate, cutting off engine power. There are independent power systems and wiring for the fuel cutoff switches and the fuel valves controlled by those switches, according to US aviation safety expert John Cox. Where are the fuel switches located? The two fuel control switches on a Boeing 787, in Air India's case equipped with two GE engines, are located below the thrust levers. The switches are spring-loaded to remain in position. To change one from run to cutoff, a pilot has to first pull the switch up and then move it from run to cutoff or vice versa. There are two modes: 'CUTOFF' and 'RUN'. What happened on the fatal Air India flight? According to the flight recorder, a few seconds after takeoff, switches for both engines transitioned to 'CUTOFF' from 'RUN' one after another with a time gap of one second. As a result, the engines began to lose power. 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. The report did not identify which remarks were made by the flight's captain and which by the first officer. The first officer was at the controls of the 787 and asked the captain why he moved the fuel switches into a position that starved the engines of fuel and requested that he restore the fuel flow, the source briefed on U.S. officials' early assessment told Reuters. Both switches were flipped back to 'RUN', according to the preliminary report, and found in the 'RUN' position at the crash site. When fuel control switches are moved from 'CUTOFF' to 'RUN' while the aircraft is in flight, each engine's control system automatically manages a relight and thrust recovery sequence of ignition and fuel introduction, the report said. 'No sane pilot would ever turn those switches off in flight,' especially as the plane is just starting to climb, US aviation safety expert John Nance said.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
India orders its airlines to check fuel switches on Boeing jets
By Abhijith Ganapavaram NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India on Monday ordered its airlines to examine fuel switches on several Boeing models, while South Korea said it would order a similar measure, as scrutiny intensified of fuel switch locks at the centre of an investigation into a deadly Air India crash. The moves by India and South Korea came despite the planemaker and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration telling airlines and regulators in recent days that the fuel switch locks on Boeing jets are safe. The locks have come under scrutiny following last month's crash of an Air India jet, which killed 260 people. A preliminary report found that the switches had almost simultaneously flipped from run position to cutoff shortly after takeoff. The report noted a 2018 advisory from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which recommended, but did not mandate, operators of several Boeing models including the 787 to inspect the locking feature of fuel cutoff switches to ensure they could not be moved accidentally. India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation said it had issued an order to investigate locks on several Boeing models including 787s and 737s, after several Indian and international airlines began making their own inspections of fuel switches. The regulator oversees the world's third-largest and fastest-growing aviation market and its move raises the stakes for Boeing, whose aircraft are used by three of the country's four largest airlines. A spokesperson for the South Korean transport ministry said checks there were in line with the 2018 advisory from the FAA, but did not give a timeline for them. Boeing referred Reuters' questions to the FAA, which was not immediately available to comment outside regular hours. The company's shares were up 1.4% in U.S. premarket trading. Some other global airlines were weighing their own inspections or had begun their own checks. In a statement, Japan's JAL said safety was its top priority, adding, "We are closely monitoring the investigation into the incident and will implement any necessary inspections based on its findings." Over the weekend, Air India Group started checking the locking mechanism on the fuel switches of its Boeing 787 and 737 fleets and has discovered no problems yet, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. About half the group's 787s have been inspected and nearly all its 737s, the source added, speaking on condition of anonymity. Inspections were set to be completed in the next day or two. On Sunday, citing a document and sources, Reuters reported that the planemaker and the FAA had privately issued notifications to airlines and regulators that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes were safe and checks were not required. The Air India crash preliminary report said the airline had not carried out the FAA's suggested inspections as the FAA's 2018 advisory was not a mandate. It also said maintenance records showed that the throttle control module, which includes the fuel switches, was replaced in 2019 and 2023 on the plane involved in the crash. In an internal memo on Monday, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the investigation into the crash was far from over and it was unwise to jump to premature conclusions, following the release of the preliminary report. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
NHK
12-07-2025
- General
- NHK
Indian authorities release preliminary report on Air India crash
Indian authorities have released a preliminary report on last month's plane crash in the western city of Ahmedabad that left at least 260 people dead. The report says the aircraft's switches for controlling fuel flow to the engines transitioned to the cutoff position and the engines began to decrease from their takeoff values. An Air India passenger jet bound for Britain came down shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarat on June 12. There were 242 people on board the Boeing 787, and only one passenger survived. The death toll includes students at a medical college dormitory that was struck by the jet. The Ministry of Civil Aviation released the report on Saturday, exactly one month after the incident. The report says that after the fuel control switches were transitioned from run to cutoff position, one of the pilots is heard in the cockpit voice recording asking the other why he cut them off. It says the other pilot responded that he did not do so. The Boeing 787 is used by airlines around the world. The report says that there are no recommended actions for Boeing and engine operators and manufacturers "at this stage of investigation." The report did not reach a conclusion on what caused the crash. It says the investigation is continuing. Kishore Chinta, an Indian former air accident investigator, says inspections should be ordered for all relevant aircraft if a problem is found with the engines. He also said there will need to be "corrective actions" for any human factors behind the accident.
NHK
11-07-2025
- General
- NHK
Preliminary report into Air India crash due 'very soon'
Indian authorities are preparing to release a preliminary report into a plane crash last month in the western state of Gujarat. The incident reportedly left more than 270 people dead. An Air India passenger jet came down shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad on June 12. There were 242 people on board the Boeing 787, and only one passenger survived. The death toll includes students at a medical college dormitory that was struck by the jet. Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu said on Friday that the report is expected "very soon." The Wall Street Journal said on Thursday that the investigation is focusing on the pilots' actions. The aircraft's switches for controlling fuel flow to the engines had reportedly been turned off. Kishore Chinta, an Indian former air accident investigator, says inspections should be ordered for all relevant aircraft if a problem is found with the engines. He also said there will need to be "corrective actions" for any human factors behind the accident.
