Debate grows over Indian air crash probe as opinions split on pilot responsibility

Nov 09, 2025
International

File Photo: Controversy deepens over investigation into India’s deadly plane crash. (Collected | BBC News)

International Desk | PNN

A devastating plane crash that killed 260 people just 32 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad for London continues to stir controversy five months later. India’s Supreme Court recently weighed in, declaring, “No one can blame the pilot.”

On June 12, Air India Flight 171 struck a building shortly after takeoff. The initial investigation report, released in July, suggested pilot error, but experts claim the report deliberately diverted attention from mechanical failures.

On Friday, Justice Surya Kant remarked, “This tragedy is indeed unfortunate, but your son (Captain Sumit Sabharwal) did nothing wrong. No one can blame him.” The comment came during a hearing on a petition filed by Captain Sabharwal’s 91-year-old father, Pushkarraj Sabharwal, seeking an independent judicial inquiry.

India’s Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the probe, joined by U.S. officials since the aircraft and its engines were designed by Boeing.

The 15-page preliminary report noted that the aircraft’s fuel cut-off switch moved from “Run” to “Cut-off,” stopping fuel flow to the engine. Though the pilots quickly tried to correct it, it was too late.

The cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot asking, “Why did you cut the fuel?” to which the other replied, “I didn’t.” This exchange has fueled speculation about pilot error or even suicide.

However, the pilots’ families and international experts argue that the findings are misleading. Indian aviation safety expert Captain Amit Singh stated that an electrical malfunction in the “Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC)” system caused the fuel cut-off.

Ed Pierson, founder of the U.S.-based Foundation for Aviation Safety (FAS) and a former Boeing manager, supported this view, calling the report “embarrassingly incomplete and clearly written to assign blame.”

Former U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General Mary Schiavo said investigators were under pressure to release findings quickly, resulting in “an unjustified blame on the pilots.”

Under international rules, final reports on major air disasters should be released within a year, though delays are common. The Air India crash appears to be following that trend.

Boeing said it trusts India’s investigative process and will not comment directly.