Several weeks after the tragic crash of an Air India plane in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people, new details are coming to light that are shaking public opinion and the aviation industry.
According to a preliminary report by Indian authorities and US sources involved in the investigation, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 56, is suspected of cutting off the plane’s fuel supply just seconds after takeoff. Two fuel switches, which normally remain activated throughout the flight, were found to have been set to the “Cutoff” position, causing the engines to stop working.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, flying from Ahmedabad to London on June 12 at 13:38 p.m., was airborne for just 30 seconds before crashing into a residential area. The crash killed 241 people on board and 19 on the ground, with only one passenger surviving, incredibly.
Officially, it has not been confirmed which of the pilots shut off the fuel supply. But recordings from the “black box” show an alarming dialogue in the cockpit, where one pilot asks: “Why did it shut off?” and the other replies: “It wasn’t me.”
According to US investigators and Wall Street Journal reports, compelling evidence from the communication suggests that the action may belong to Captain Sabharwal, who was in the role of monitor at the time, while co-pilot Clive Kunder, 28, was at the controls of the plane during takeoff.
Captain Sabharwal was a pilot with over 8,200 flight hours and enjoyed a high reputation in the aviation community. Friends and colleagues describe him as a calm man, a dedicated professional and a “gentle soul.” He had no serious incidents during his career and was known for his respectful behavior.
But after the tragedy, authorities are also examining the psychological aspect of the captain. Sources close to the investigation have indicated that Sabharwal had gone through a difficult personal period after the death of his mother in 2022, subsequently separating from his wife and moving to Mumbai to take care of his 90-year-old father.
Several other Air India pilots have cited possible mental health issues, even though the airline had given them medical clearance to fly after routine checks and alcohol tests, which came back clean.
A few hours before the fatal flight, Sabharwal had told the guard of the compound where he lived: “Take care of my father. I will be back soon.”
It is still unclear whether the fuel cut was a fatal error, a deliberate act or a technical fault. Aviation experts have described the act of putting the keys in “Cutoff” immediately after takeoff as “absolutely inexplicable”.
Investigations are ongoing, while the final report is expected to clarify whether we are dealing with human error, suicide with mass consequences or a chain of tragic events that led to India’s worst air disaster in recent decades.